Each Certified Consultant goes through comprehensive training and has specialized experience setting up medical practices with EHR technology. Rely on a Certified Consultant to:

• Plan your EHR transition process
• Transfer paper and electronic records to your new system
• Set-up and customize the EHR
• Train based on practice role
• Help with your office’s computers, internet and other equipment
• Enhance workflow management solutions
• Provide on-going support

Who Qualifies for the EMR Healthcare Stimulus?

If you’re a general practitioner or specialist who wants to learn more about the federal government’s electronic medical record (EMR) stimulus package, we can help. Our Practice Fusion Stimulus Center explains how you may qualify for up to $44,000 or more in EMR stimulus incentives through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

We update the center regularly to address your most pressing stimulus concerns regarding eligibility, financial incentives and meaningful EMR use. Visit the CMS Eligibility Tool forfor a quick eligibility check. Then, return to Practice Fusion to learn how you can be on the path to Meaningful Use and EMR incentive payments in just five minutes with our free, industry-leading EMR.

What do ARRA, HITECH and ONC mean?

ARRA is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, more widely known as the Stimulus Bill of 2008. One of the provisions of this legislation was the HITECH Act which authorizes the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to issue annual payments to eligible providers who demonstrate Meaningful Use of a certified electronic health record. Further, HITECH authorized significant funds for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC or ONCHIT).

The ONC is tasked with implementing many elements of HITECH including creating technology standards, designating Meaningful Use criteria and certifying EHR vendors.

How can I use EHR / EMR stimulus funding?

CMS will pay HITECH incentives on a per provider basis through either Medicare or Medicaid to offset the cost of EHR adoption. Eligible physicians can individually qualify for up to $44,000 or more in economic stimulus incentives. A practice of three physicians could qualify for $132,000 or more. Physicians adopting a free EMR may use stimulus incentives at their discretion if they demonstrate Meaningful Use on a certified EHR.

What types of health care providers can qualify for HITECH incentives?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA – start on page 114) details that the following all qualify for HITECH incentives:

• Hospitals
• Skilled nursing facilities
• Nursing facilities
• Home health entities
• Long term care facilities
• Health care clinics
• Community mental health centers
• Renal dialysis facilities
• Blood centers
• Ambulatory surgical centers
• Emergency medical service providers
• Federally qualified health centers (FQHC)
• Group practices
• Pharmacists
• Laboratories
• Physicians (See below)
• Practitioners (See below)
• Indian Health Service providers
• Rural health clinics
• Therapists

Who is an Eligible Professional under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program?

Eligible professionals under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program include:

• Doctor of medicine or osteopathy
• Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine
• Doctor of podiatry
• Doctor of optometry
• Chiropractor

Who is an eligible professional under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program?

• Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy)
• Nurse practitioner
• Certified nurse-midwife
• Dentist
• Physician assistant who furnishes services in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant

To qualify for an incentive payment under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, an eligible professional must meet one of the following criteria:

• Have a minimum 30% Medicaid patient volume*
• Have a minimum 20% Medicaid patient volume, and is a pediatrician*
• Practice predominantly in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Center and have a minimum 30% patient volume attributable to needy individuals

* Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients do not count toward the Medicaid patient volume criteria.

Which geographic areas qualify for HITECH incentives?

ARRA specifies the following regions and territories as qualifying for HITECH incentives:

• All 50 US states
• The District of Columbia
• Puerto Rico
• The Virgin Islands
• Guam
• American Samoa
• The Northern Mariana Islands

What types of medical practices do not qualify for HITECH incentives?

The following types of practices do not qualify for incentives based on our current understanding of the program:

• Free clinics that don’t bill Medicare or Medicaid
• Physical therapists
• Hospital-based physicians such as pathologists, anesthesiologists or emergency physicians
• Acupuncturists and other holistic providers
• Any practice not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid payments