California has set a goal of having 10,000 eligible health care providers by June receive Medicaid incentive payments for demonstrating meaningful use of certified electronic health records, according to a CMS blog post published recently by National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari and CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
Nationwide Goals
In the blog post, Mostashari and Tavenner wrote that they have set a goal of helping 100,000 health care providers qualify for Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments this year.
As of February, more than 59,000 eligible health care professionals and more than 2,000 hospitals had received Medicare or Medicaid incentive payments, they noted.
States’ Progress
Mostashari and Tavenner wrote that many states, including California, “are partnering with local stakeholder organizations to make sure providers get the help and encouragement to achieve ‘meaningful use’ and assistance with overcoming any barriers that are blocking their progress”.
EHR Assistance
SFMS is partnering with Regional and Local Extension Centers to provide assistance with EHR adoption and implementation. REC and LEC support and serve health care providers to help them quickly become adept and meaningful users of EHRs. The target audience of RECs is primary care clinicians, but many RECs offer assistance to specialists, as well. If you need assistance as you look into transitioning to EHRs and participating in the CMS EHR Incentive Programs, consider contacting:
California Health Information Partnership and Services Organization (CalHIPSO) www.calhipso.org(888) 589-4897 Lumetra, San Francisco Local Extension Center www.lumetrasolutions.com (415) 677-2081
