Below are some commonly asked questions regarding the economic stimulus funding and what physicians need to do to qualify for the funding:

Who or what kinds of organizations will benefit from the healthcare IT incentives?

The incentives primarily benefit hospitals and office-based physicians. They are designed to reduce healthcare costs by accelerating the use of IT to improve quality, safety and efficiency. Ultimately, patients and caregivers also will benefit from the automation and connectivity enabled by EHRs.

What is the potential financial benefit of the healthcare IT incentives to physicians?

Each office-based physician who meaningfully uses a certified EHR could receive up to $44,000 (Medicare) or $64,000 (Medicaid) in government funding. Office-based physicians practicing in rural or underserved areas would be eligible for up to $48,400 in Medicare incentives. It’s important to note that these figures represent the maximum allowable incentives under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and that physicians may only qualify for either the Medicare or the Medicaid funding, but cannot qualify for both.

When will the payments be made?

Funds become available for office-based physicians on January 1, 2011 (and are eligible to apply through January 1, 2012 and still receive full benefits). Providers should begin planning as soon as possible to allow time to achieve meaningful use of certified solutions during this time period.

Are there additional incentives for office-based physicians to adopt in the early years of the
program?

Office-based physicians’ maximum allowable Medicare incentive for the first year of meaningful use is increased by $3,000, from $15,000 to $18,000, for meaningful EHR use in 2011 or 2012. This “early adopter” incentive raises the total amount physicians can qualify for from $41,000 to $44,000. A benefit for office-based physician early adoption does not exist under the Medicaid incentive program.

What is meant by “meaningful use” of healthcare IT?

Funding and incentives are tied to “meaningful” use. While no one yet knows the full definition of meaningful use, preliminary descriptions include the following:

An eligible professional shall be treated as a meaningful EHR user for a reporting period for a payment year if the following requirements are met:

• Meaningful use of certified EHR technology. The eligible professional demonstrates to the satisfaction of the HHS Secretary, that during such period the physician is using certified EHR technology in a meaningful manner. The certified EHR shall include the use of electronic prescribing as determined to be appropriate by the HHS Secretary.
• Information exchange. The eligible professional demonstrates to the satisfaction of the HHS Secretary that during such period such certified EHR technology is connected in a manner that provides, in accordance with law and standards applicable to the exchange of information, for the electronic exchange of health information to improve the quality of health care, such as promoting care coordination.
• Reporting of measures using EHR. Using such certified EHR technology, the eligible professional submits information for such period, in a form and manner specified by the HHS Secretary, on such clinical quality measures and such other measures as selected by the HHS Secretary. The HHS Secretary shall seek to improve the use of EHRs and healthcare quality over time by requiring more stringent measures of meaningful use selected under this paragraph.

Will the incentives be applied to systems already in use, or will they be applied to the
purchase of new systems only?

The incentives are available to meaningful users of certified IT systems described in the legislation regardless of when they were implemented. The qualifier is the date at which the eligible provider can demonstrate meaningful use of the certified technology.

Access more physician funding questions and answers here.