HHS: Over 100,000 healthcare providers paid for using EHRs

Jun 21, 2012 — More than 100,000 health care providers are using electronic health records that meet federal standards and have benefitted from the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced.

Only three months ago, CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Farzad Mostashari, M.D., Sc.M., declared an ambitious goal of getting 100,000 health care providers to adopt or meaningfully use EHRs by the end of 2012. Today, that goal has already been met and surpassed.

Acting Administrator Tavenner first proposed the 100,000 provider goal in a blog in March with Dr. Mostashari that declared 2012 the “Year of Meaningful Use” http://blog.cms.gov/2012/03/23/2012-the-year-of-meaningful-use/.

“Meeting this goal so early in the year is a testament to the commitment of everyone who has worked hard to meet the challenges of integrating EHRs and health information technology into clinical practice,” said Acting Administrator Tavenner. “Not only have state Medicaid programs, public health departments, and many other stakeholders given their support to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, but numerous health professionals and hospitals have recognized the potential of EHRs to provide better patient care, cut down on paperwork, and eliminate duplicate screenings and tests.”

The EHR Incentive Programs, which began in 2011, provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or meaningfully use certified EHR technology in ways that improve care. Eligible professionals include physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and some physician assistants. The program was established by the Health Information for Clinical and Economic Health Act of 2009 (HITECH), one of President Obama’s first priorities enacted upon taking office.

As of the end of May 2012:

— More than 110,000 eligible professionals and over 2,400 eligible hospitals have been paid by the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

— Approximately 48 percent of all eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals in the U.S. have received an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, upgrading, or meaningfully using an EHR.

— One out of every 5 Medicare and Medicaid eligible professionals in the U.S. has received an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, upgrading, or meaningfully using an EHR.

— Over $5.7 billion in EHR Incentive Program payments were made.

— More than $3 billion in Medicare EHR Incentive Program payments were made between May 2011 (when the first payments were released) and the end of May 2012.

— More than $2.6 billion in Medicaid EHR Incentive Program payments were made between January 2011 (when the first states launched their programs) and the end of May 2012.

“The EHR Incentive Programs have really helped jump-start the use of electronic health records by health care providers all across the country,” said Dr. Mostashari. “Thanks in great part to the work conducted by the ONC-sponsored Regional Extension Centers (RECs) and Beacon Communities Programs, more and more providers across the country — especially those in rural communities — are now ready to use EHRs.”

Through the end of May 2012, over 133,000 primary care providers and 10,000 specialists were partnering with RECs to overcome common EHR adoption barriers. Of these providers, 70 percent of small practice providers in rural areas as well as 74 percent of critical access hospitals are working with RECs. These regional organizations work to ensure these clinicians meet meaningful use and receive incentive payments through the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Over 12,000 providers working with RECS have already received their incentive payments.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments for using EHR technology in ‘meaningful’ ways that lead to higher quality care, improved patient safety, and shared decision making by patients and physicians. Under both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals can receive support and financial incentives for implementing and meaningfully using certified EHR technology.

Forty-four states are participating in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program as of May 2012. For more information on which states are participating, please visit the EHR Incentive Programs website at http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/MedicaidStateInfo.html. CMS expects the remaining states to launch their Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs by the end of 2012.

Source: HHS