Article by Michael Young
Shortly after the new year, eligible physicians and hospitals began registering for the Medicare electronic health records (EHR) incentive program, a prerequisite for obtaining billions of dollars in available federal bonuses.
Implementation of this program will streamline health information services and provide more efficient patient care delivery. Here is some information that will help you understand the registration process for the Medicare EHR incentive program, which began on January 3rd.
Projected Rollout
Not all areas of the country will be implementing registration at the same time, so it is important to have an EHR representative to guide your facility through the process. Registration for the EHR incentive program will launch in January for Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
In February, registration will open in California, Missouri and North Dakota. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the remaining states will launch their EHR incentive program sign-ups in the spring and summer.
Resources Available
Officials with the CMS and the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology said they hope for broad registration by doctors and hospitals. The CMS website has numerous resources to provide physicians and hospitals with the latest information regarding the program.
Any clinician or hospital staff member who will be using EHR technology is encouraged to visit the website for the latest news and updates that will impact implementation of the program at the local level.
Registration and Other Deadlines
Physicians who want to participate must register in either the Medicare or Medicaid EHR incentive programs, but they must choose only one program
