The Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and Meaningful Use Final Rule

Our Guarantee

Clinix is committed to certify and maintain certification of ClinixMD as a "certified EHR" according to the rules and regulations published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), as they may be amended from time to time.

Key Dates:

• January 2009 – President Obama signed the "American Recovery & Reinvestment Act" (ARRA), which includes the HITECH Act authorizing, among other things, incentive payments to eligible professionals who adopt and make meaningful use of certified EHR systems
• January 2010 – Official Notice of the Meaningful Use Proposed Rulemaking in Federal Register with over 2,000 public comments received by CMS
• July 13, 2010 – CMS released pre-publication of the Meaningful Use Final Rule
• July 28, 2010 – Official publication of the Meaningful Use Final Rule in Federal Register
• September 26, 2010 – The Meaningful Use Final Rule became effective

Purpose of Meaningful Use:

• Improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities
• Engage patients and families
• Improve care coordination
• Ensure adequate privacy and security protections for personal health info
• Improve population and public health

Eligible Providers for Medicare EHR Incentive:

• Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy
• Doctor of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine
• Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
• Doctor of Optometry
• Chiropractor

Eligible Providers for Medicaid EHR Incentive:

• Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy
• Doctor of Dental Surgery or Dental Medicine
• Nurse Practitioners
• Certified Nurse-Midwives
• Certain Physician Assistants

Meaningful User Requirements:

• Utilize certified EHR technology in a meaningful manner
• Utilize certified EHR technology that provides for the electronic exchange of health information
• Submit information on clinical quality measures

Key Dates for Certified EHR:

• July 13, 2010 – Pre-publication of the Final rule on Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, & Certification Criteria for EHR
• July 28, 2010 – Official publication of the Final rule on Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, & Certification Criteria for EHR
• August 26, 2010 – Final rule became effective

Stage 1 (2011 and 2012) effective January 1, 2011:

• To meet certain objectives/measures, 80% of patients must have records in the certified EHR technology
• Eligible Providers have to report 20 Meaningful Use objectives of 15 "core set" measures and 5 "menu set" measures
• Reporting period is 90 days for 2011 and one year for 2012 and subsequent years

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