The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide EHR incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.
Demonstrating meaningful use of certified EHRs takes time and resources. EPs and hospitals can receive financial support from the CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. EPs can qualify for EHR incentive payments totaling as much as $44,000 through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, or as much as $63,750 through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Through the EHR Incentive Programs, eligible hospitals, including critical access hospitals (CAHs), can qualify for EHR incentive payments totaling some $2 million or more.
Incentive numbers provided by http://www.healthit.gov
More info on help with meeting EHR Incentives
Benefits of Meaningful Use
The benefits of meaningfully using an electronic health record (EHR) includes:
Complete and accurate information.
With EHRs, providers have the information they need to provide the best possible care. Providers will know more about their patients and their health history before they walk into the examination room.
Better access to information.
EHRs facilitate greater access to the information providers need to diagnose health problems earlier and improve the health outcomes of their patients. EHRs also allow information to be shared more easily among doctors’ offices, hospitals, and across health systems, leading to better coordination of care.
Patient empowerment.
EHRs will help empower patients to take a more active role in their health and in the health of their families. Patients can receive electronic copies of their medical records and share their health information securely over the Internet with their families.