For more information on reporting for the CMS e-Prescribing incentive program, securing an electronic prescribing system, or verifying that your current system is in compliance, please visit www.rheumatology.org/hit.
CMS EHR ‘Meaningful Use’ Incentive Program
The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act authorizes the CMS to provide a reimbursement incentive for providers who are “meaningful users” of an electronic health record. CMS estimates that between $14.1 and $27.5 billion in funding will be distributed through the EHR Meaningful Use incentive program.
The requirements for the program encourage providers to use their electronic systems fully (i.e., as more than simply an electronic medical chart), opening the potential for greater efficiency, improved quality, and effectively coordinated care. Meaningful users have the potential to earn as much as $44,000 over five years in the Medicare program or $63,750 over six years in the Medicaid program. Starting in 2015, Medicare will implement payment reductions for eligible providers who are not meaningful EHR users.
For providers seeking to collect the full incentive amount for the CMS EHR Incentive Program, attestation of meaningful use must begin by the end of calendar year 2012 and be reported on a continuous 90-day period.
For more information on the CMS EHR Incentive Program, visit www.rheumatology.org/hit.
Practice Management at the Annual Meeting
Don’t miss the Business of Rheumatology sessions at the 2011 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting this November in Chicago:
- Sunday, November 6
Health Information Technology and Informatics to Promote High Quality Rheumatologic Care - Monday, November 7
RAC and Roll—How to Perform Complex Chart Audits - Tuesday, November 8
Understanding Medicare Incentive Programs: e-Prescribing & PQRS Mastering Patient Flow to Improve Practice Operations - Wednesday, November 9
ICD-10 & HIPAA 5010—Ready or Not…It’s Coming!
Visit My ACR at www.rheumatology.org/annual to view a complete list of educational sessions. While at the meeting, visit the practice management kiosk at the ACR Resource Center for more information on practice management, coding, and billing.
CMS Physicians Quality Reporting System
Physicians Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is another incentive program created through the 2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act. Eligible professionals who successfully report on measures in 2012 will qualify to earn an incentive payment of 0.5% of their total estimated allowed charges for Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule–covered professional services furnished during that same period. Beginning in 2015, eligible professionals who do not successfully report on the measures will be subject to a payment adjustment or penalty of 1.5% in 2015 and 2% for 2016 and each subsequent year. It is important to note that reporting periods for the penalties are still being finalized, but it is planned that the payment penalty applied in 2015 will be based on PQRS reporting as early as the 2013 calendar year.
