The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs offer financial incentives for the
“meaningful use” of certified EHR technology to improve patient care. Read More.. www.curemd.com
3. Introduction
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs offer financial incentives for the
“meaningful use” of certified EHR technology to improve patient care.
To receive an EHR incentive payment, providers have to show that they are “meaningfully
using” their EHRs by meeting thresholds for a number of objectives. CMS has established
the objectives for “meaningful use” that eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical
access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to receive an incentive payment.
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs are staged in three steps with
increasing requirements for participation. All providers begin participating by meeting the
Stage 1 requirements for a 90-day period in their first year of meaningful use and a full year
in their second year of meaningful use.
After meeting the Stage 1 requirements, providers will then have to meet Stage 2
requirements for two full years. Eligible professionals participate in the program on the
calendar years, while eligible hospitals and CAHs participate according to the federal fiscal
year.
2
Stage 3
2015
Improved Outcomes
Stage 2
2014
Advanced
Clinical Processes
Stage 1
2011
Data Capturing
& Sharing
in
4. Key Timelines of Stage 2
3
2010
FALL
2011
WINTER
2011
SPRING
2011
FALL
2012
WINTER
2014 2015 2016 2021
NOV/DEC
RFI for
additional
public input
1-2Q11
Moniter
Stage 1
submissions
late 2011
Final
recommen-
dations to
ONC
2014
Last year to
initiate
participa-
tion in the
Medicare
EHR
Incentive
Program
2016
Last year to
receive a
Medicare
EHR
Incentive
Payment
Last year to
initiate
participa-
tion in
Medicaid
EHR
Incentive
Program
2Q11
Draft
recommen-
dations to
HIT Policy
Committee
CMS
CDC
Certified
EHR
technology
available &
listed on
ONC
website
For
Medicade
Providers,
States may
lauch their
programs if
they so
choose
JAN 2011
Registration
for the EHR
Incentive
Program
Begins
JAN 2011
Last year to
receive
Medicaid
EHR
Payment
2021
Medicare
payment
adjustments
begin for
EPs &
eligible
hospitals
that are not
meaningful
users to
EHR
technology
2015
Last day for
EPs to
register and
attest to
receive and
Incentive
Payment for
FY 2011
Feb 29,
2012
EHR
Incentive
Payments
begin
May 2011
Last day for
eligible
hospitals
and CAHs to
register and
attest to
receive an
Incentive
Payment for
FY 2011
Nov 30,
2011
New Criteria – From 2014,
providers participating in the
EHR Incentive Programs who
have met Stage 1 for two or
three years will need to meet
Meaningful Use Stage 2 criteria.
Improving Patient Care – Stage 2
includes new objectives to
improve patient care through
better clinical decision support,
care coordination and patient
engagement.
Saving Money, Time, Lives –
With this next stage, EHRs will
further save our healthcare
system money, time for doctors
and hospitals, and lives.
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5. Meaningful Use Timeline & CMS Reporting – 2014
CMS had previously established a timeline in the Stage 1 of the MU Program, requiring
providers to ascend to the criteria for Stage 2 after two years of the program which meant
that this timeline required Medicare providers demonstrating Meaningful Use in 2011 to
meet the 2013 criteria of Stage 2.
CMS then had the criteria for Stage 2 delayed for a year, making it effective in the year 2014.
For the year 2014, providers, regardless of their current Stage in the Meaningful Use time-
line, are required to demonstrate Meaningful Use for three months in that year. Medicare
Providers: The 3 month reporting period has been fixed to the fiscal year for hospitals and
critical access hospitals and the calendar year for eligible providers.
Medicaid Providers: For those who are only eligible to receive the Medicaid EHR Incentives,
the reporting period of 3 months is not fixed to any quarter and can be fulfilled at any time of
the year with 3 consecutive months of MU demonstration.
Requirements of Stage 2
Meaningful use includes both a core set and a menu set of objectives that are specific to
eligible professionals or eligible hospitals and CAHs. For eligible professionals, there are a
total of 24 meaningful use objectives. To qualify for an incentive payment, 19 of these 24
objectives must be met:
• 14 required core objectives
• 5 objectives chosen from a list of 10 menu set objectives
For eligible hospitals and CAHs, there are a total of 23 meaningful use objectives. To qualify
for an incentive payment, 18 of these 23 objectives must be met:
• 13 required core objectives
• 5 objectives chosen from a list of 10 menu set objectives
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6. Reporting Clinical Quality Measures
Clinical quality measures, or CQMs, are tools that help measure and track the quality of
health care services provided by eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access
hospitals (CAHs) within our health care system. These measures use data associated with
providers’ ability to deliver high-quality care or relate to long term goals for quality health
care. CQMs measure many aspects of patient care including:
• Health outcomes
• Clinical processes
• Patient safety
• Efficient use of health care resources
• Care coordination
CMS provides Meaningful Use Specification Sheets that bring together critical information
on each objective to help you understand what you need to do to meet the program require-
ments. Each specification sheet covers a single eligible professional core or menu set objec-
tive in detail, including information on:
• Meeting the measure for each objective
• How to calculate the numerator and denominator for each objective
• How to qualify for an exclusion to an objective
• In-depth definitions of terms that clarify objective requirements
• Requirements for attesting to each measure
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Stage 1 - 2014Stage 2 - 2014
17 Core Measures
6 Menu Measures (at least 3)
90 Days Reporting Period
$8000-Incentive (MCR)
15 Core Measures
10 Menu Measures (at least 5)
90 Days Reporting Period
Depends on the year of participation
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7. • Patient engagements
• Population and public health
• Adherence to clinical guidelines
Measuring and reporting CQMs helps to ensure that our health care system is delivering
effective, safe, efficient, patient-centered, equitable, and timely care.
To participate in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive
Programs and receive an incentive payment, providers are required to submit CQM data
from certified EHR technology. Beginning in 2014, all providers must use EHR technology
that has been certified to the 2014 standards and capabilities that contains new CQM
criteria. Providers will report using the 2014 criteria regardless of whether they are in Stage
1 or Stage 2 of meaningful use.
Please visit the 2014 Clinical Quality Measure Page to learn more about 2014 CQMs and
2014 reporting options.
To access the EHR Incentive Program 2014 CQM electronic specifications please visit the
eCQM Library page.
To learn more about electronic reporting please visit the Electronic Reporting Specification
page of the EHR Incentive Program.
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8. Attest for Stage 2 with CureMD
7
MU Registration
Initial Assessment &
Recommended Plan
A session in which CureMD will walk you through the
registration process.
We will assess your current process flow, and determine
the fastest path to achieving Meaningful Use.
MU Training
Monitor Progress
Towards MU Compliance
Training Session on MU Compliance and Progress
Tracking.
A monthly session where your progress towards
Meaningful Use will be reviewed.
MU Attestation A session in which CureMD will walk you through the
Meaningful Use attestation process.
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10. 9
Stage 2 FAQs
How will the Physician Payment be calculated under Medicare?
The Medicare payments will be calculated by multiplying the submitted allowable charges to
Medicare by 75%, up to the capped amount for the year. So a physician aiming to collect the
full incentive payment of $18,000 in 2011 will need to submit allowable charges of at least
$24,000. Conversely, a physician submitting only $16,000 in allowables would collect
$12,000 in 2011, even though the cap is higher.
Do providers register only once for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health
Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, or must they register every year?
Providers are only required to register once for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive
Programs. However, they must successfully demonstrate that they have either adopted,
implemented or upgraded (first participation year for Medicaid) or meaningfully used
certified EHR technology each year in order to receive an incentive payment for that year.
Additionally, providers seeking the Medicaid incentive must annually re-attest to other
program requirements, such as meeting the required patient volume thresholds. Providers
will register using the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration &
Attestation System, a web-based system. Providers who have elected to participate in the
Medicare EHR Incentive Program will also use this system to attest to their program
eligibility and meaningful use.
Providers who select the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will demonstrate their eligibility
and attest via their State Medicaid Agency's system. If any basic registration information
changes, the provider will need to update their information in the Medicare and Medicaid
EHR Incentive Program Registration & Attestation System.
When can I register and where do I register for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic
Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs?
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11. 10
Registration for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program began on January 3, 2011 and is
available for eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals
(CAHs) online at CMS.
Please note that although the Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will begin January 3, 2011,
not all states will be ready to participate on this date. Information on when registration will
be available for Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs in specific States is posted at CMS Incen-
tive Program.
Can eligible professionals (EPs) receive electronic health record (EHR) incentive
payments from both the Medicare and Medicaid programs?
Not for the same year. If an EP meets the requirements of both programs, they must choose
to receive an EHR incentive payment under either the Medicare program or the Medicaid
program. After a payment has been made, the EP may only switch programs once before
2015.
How much are the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive
payments to eligible professionals (EPs)?
Under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, EPs who demonstrate meaningful use of
certified EHR technology can receive up to a total of $44,000 over 5 consecutive years.
Additional incentives are available for Medicare EPs who practice in a Health Provider
Shortage Area (HPSA) and meet the maximum allowed charge threshold. Under the
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, EPs can receive up to a total $63,750 over the 6 years
that they choose to participate in program. EPs may switch once between programs after a
payment has been made and only before 2015.
Are there any special incentives for rural providers in the Medicare and Medicare
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs?
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We note that nothing in the Act excludes such payments from taxation or as tax-free income.
Therefore, it is our belief that incentive payments would be treated like any other income.
Providers should consult with a tax advisor or the Internal Revenue Service regarding how to
properly report this income on their filings.
In order to receive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health
Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, does a provider have to be enrolled in the Provider
Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)?
In order to receive Medicare EHR incentive payments, EPs, eligible hospitals, and critical
access hospitals must have an enrollment record in PECOS. Medicaid EPs do not have to be
in PECOS. There are three ways to verify that you have an enrollment record in PECOS:
This information is accurate, to the best of our knowledge. As more information becomes
available from HHS and other agencies, this page will be updated accordingly. Please check
the CMS website.
Check the Ordering Referring Report on the CMS website. If you are on that report, you
have a current enrollment record in PECOS. Go to CMS Provider, click on "Ordering
Referring Report" on the left.
Use Internet-based PECOS to look for your PECOS enrollment record. If no record is
displayed, you do not have an enrollment record in PECOS. Go to CMS Provider, click on
"Internet-based PECOS" on the left.
Contact your designated Medicare enrollment contractor and ask if you have an enrollment
record in PECOS. Go to CMS Provider, click on "Medicare Fee-For-Service Contact
Information" under "Downloads." If you are not in PECOS, the best way to submit your
application is through internet-based PECOS.
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13. About CureMD
CureMD is an award winning provider of SMART Cloud EHR, Practice Management, Patient Portal
and Medical Billing service, designed to optimize outcomes, quality and financial returns. With
thousands of satisfied customers across the nation, CureMD has maintained a 99% customer
retention rate since 1997. In a recent KLAS Research publication "SaaS EMR, Is it for you - 2012",
CureMD was ranked number 1 SaaS EMR for its web-based, easy to use, quick go-live solution that
delivers the highest ROI.
For more information:
Please visit us at www.curemd.com or call +1 (866) 643 8367
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