Only Medicare and Medicaid providers are eligible for incentive payments. For Medicare, providers receive 75% of the allowable Medicare charges for a payment year, subject to yearly maximum payments. Medicaid providers can also qualify if a minimum of 30% of encounters are for Medicaid patients. Doctors can qualify for one program only; Medicare or Medicaid.

Question 4: When can chiropractors expect to receive payments?

A: Medicare payments begin as early as May, 2011. The payments for the first year of the incentive program are made after the conclusion of the 90-day reporting period for demonstration and attestation of meaningful use. For each year thereafter, the reporting period is the entire year. Qualifying doctors can receive annual payments for up to five years, beginning as early as 2011. Providers who qualify in 2012 are eligible for the maximum incentive amount . See the following chart:

Question 5: What questions should chiropractors ask their providers (insurance and software) to ensure they are being compliant?

A: First, chiropractors should educate themselves on the HITECH incentive program. A good source of information is the website of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The address is http://healthit.hhs.gov. Doctors should question their current or prospective software vendors regarding their intentions for certification and in particular, which of the 25 objectives and measures for Stage 1 will be included in their certified EHR products. Because EHRs can be certified in modules, it is important to know which components of a particular software package can be used to demonstrate meaningful use. Providers will have the ability to use more than one EHR product in order to achieve all  objectives for meaningful use. Questions should also be asked regarding the estimated timeline for delivering their certified EHR products.

Question 6: What new products or services do you think will come out of this incentive?

A: There will be a plethora of new ERH products introduced over the next few years. Doctors should use an abundance of caution when choosing an EHR system. Not only must the EHR system be certified for the Stage 1 objectives for achieving meaningful use, but must be capable of being upgraded in subsequent years for the more rigorous requirements for stages 2 and 3.

Many software companies will rush products to market to take advantage of the government stimulus money and may not have the support systems, developers and other resources necessary to sustain the products and to provide upgrades to meet future needs. Doctors would be wise to choose a software vendor that is well-established in the chiropractic market and which has a proven track-record for offering high-quality software products and outstanding service and support.