| American Recovery
& Reinvestment Act
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American
Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to stimulate the U.S. economy.
The bill allots over $60 billion to encourage the use of Electronic
Health Records throughout the medical community: $46 billion towards
pay-for-performance, and $14 billion in grants.
Physicians will have to choose either Medicare or Medicaid incentives;
they cannot get both. While hospitals can apply for both Medicare
and Medicaid incentives, children’s hospitals cannot.
Incentives are projected as follows:
MEDICARE: Physicians who accept Medicare can
receive up to $44,000 over the five-year period. Physicians
who practice in a “provider shortage” area are eligible for
an additional 10% incremental increase. Providers such as anesthesiologists
or pathologists, who deliver care entirely in a hospital environment,
are ineligible. Beginning in 2011, physicians who “meaningfully
use” an approved HIT system are eligible to receive up to 75%
of their allowable Medicare charges as an incentive, providing
it does not exceed the maximum incentive payment allowable for
that year.
“Early adopters” (those who implement an HIT system by 2011
– the first year that incentives are available – or by 2012)
receive an even higher payment ceiling, i.e. as much as $18,000
the first year they adopt the technology. For example, if a
physician’s allowable charges in 2011 or 2012 total $24,000
or more, the full yearly bonus would total $18,000.
Medicare
Chart (click here)
MEDICAID: Physicians seeing more than 30%
of patients paying with Medicaid (20% for Pediatricians) are
eligible for payments up to $64,000 over five years. Individual
doctors can get as much as $25,000 in year-one Medicaid incentives
to partially offset the initial cost of the technology. Physicians
can then earn up to $10,000 annually for four additional years
to support “meaningful use” of EHR.
Medicaid
Chart (click here)
The Vitera Intergy suite, available through Indianapolis-based
Bradford-Scott Data Corp., is one of only a handful of systems
that feature a fully integrated Practice Management and a CCHIT-certified
and customizable Electronic Health Record solution. With features
like e-Prescribe, comprehensive electronic encounter documentation
and more, the Vitera Intergy suite enables your practice to capture,
view and report the data required for government incentive programs.
Meaningful Use:
To be eligible for incentives physicians must be able to demonstrate
“Meaningful Use” of the Healthcare IT. The EHR in use must be
certified and include these functions:
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