|
COHIE Hits Its Target! |
|
 COHIE is pleased to announce that we have reached our goal of signing up 1,352 primary care providers!
It is clear that the physicians in COHIE's 14-county region are committed to providing superior health care to their patients through the use of electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Of course this does not mean that COHIE's work is complete. Our service to these 1,352 providers will be ongoing, including implementation of a qualified EHR system, reaching Meaningful Use stages, and finally helping practices receive incentive payments.
COHIE is able to offer services to primary care providers beyond its goal. However, the opportunity is limited. Contact COHIE Director Matt Esker at (614)384-9174 to learn more. |
|
Good News for Early EHR Adopters:
Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements Delayed Until 2014 |
 Physician practices that chose to adopt a certified EHR and meet Stage 1 Meaningful Use requirements in 2011 are catching a break from HHS in meeting Stage 2 requirements.
During her visit to Cleveland's Cuyahoga Community College on November 30th, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that rather than meeting the more robust Stage 2 requirements in 2013 (which includes an upgrade of current EHR systems), early adopters now have until 2014.
The delay applies only to those physicians that met Stage 1 requirements in 2011. Those that are planning to meet Stage 1 in 2012 will not see their deadline for Stage 2 pushed back a year (it will remain 2014).
If you have questions regarding any the Meaningful Use requirements or deadlines, please contact COHIE at (614) 384-9174. |
|
Key Differences
Between Medicaid & Medicare EHR Incentive Programs |
|
Although both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs  reward physician practices that adopt and 'meaningfully use' a certified EHR system, there are key differences between the programs. Here are some some answers to general questions that may help guide you to the program that is best for your practice.
Medicaid EHR Incentive Program (MPIP)
- Am I eligible to receive the Medicaid EHR Incentives? The answer is yes if you are a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, dentist or physician assistant*.
- Is my Medicaid patient volume high enough to qualify? Your Medicaid patient population must be 30% or higher (20% for Pediatricians) to qualify. This includes Managed Medicaid patients. Many providers who initially assume they would not qualify learn they are eligible once they verify the rules. Click here for the MPIP FAQ's on Medicaid patient encounters to learn more.
- Is it too late to maximize my incentive payments? No. In fact, the Medicaid providers can begin to participate in the incentive program any time from now to 2016 and still receive the maximum incentive of $63,750. However, the sooner a provider begins, the sooner they can receive their payments!
*Click here for specific MPIP eligibility requirements for physician assistants.
Medicare EHR Incentive Program
- Can I still qualify for Calendar Year 2011 Incentives? Unfortunately, to qualify for 2011 incentives, you would need to have begun your 3-month Meaningful Use attestation period in October.
- If I didn't begin my Meaningful Use attestation in October 2011, can I still maximize my incentives? Yes! Even if you do not begin until 2012, you can you can still reach the maximum incentive of $44,000.
Have more specific questions? COHIE can provide the answers. Contact COHIE Director Matt Esker at (614) 384-9174. |
Ohio Health Information Partnership is funded through the Office of the National Coordinator, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, grant numbers 90RC0012 and 90HT0024 |
As 2011 comes to a close, it's hard to believe all that has been accomplished by the providers in our community over the last year. To name a few, approximately 100 practices signed up to utilize COHIE services and begin the process of obtaining their EHR incentives; incentive payments distributed to to COHIE-assisted practices are approaching $1 million; and physicians throughout Ohio have surpassed all other states in the rate of EHR adoption!