For more information on e-prescribing, contact Itara Barnes at [email protected] or visit the ACR’s Web site at www.rheumatology.org/practice.
Staff | Issue: February 2009 |
For more information on e-prescribing, contact Itara Barnes at [email protected] or visit the ACR’s Web site at www.rheumatology.org/practice.
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 provides for e-prescribing financial incentives in 2011 and financial penalties in 2012 and 2013. When you successfully e-prescribe and report on 25 patient encounters, you will be eligible to receive a 1% incentive of the total estimated allowed charges for professional services covered by Medicare Part B rendered in 2011. The big news, however, is the payment reductions for those who do not successfully meet e-prescribing reporting requirements that will be applied—1% in 2012 and 1.5% in 2013.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program (Meaningful Use) provides for eligible physicians who demonstrate “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology to be eligible to receive up to $44,000 in Medicare incentive payments over five years or up to $63,750 in Medicaid incentive payments over six years. But what does it really mean to achieve “meaningful use” for the EHR Incentive Program, and what will your practice need to do to meet the required objectives?
Practice management changes and opportunities in 2012
January kicked off a new era for health information technology (HIT). A new year brings new opportunities, with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) electronic health record (EHR) incentive program topping the list. But what is meaningful EHR use, and what does it mean for you? What are the steps to get started?