The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and up to $63,750 through the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
Register Now! Find out if you're eligible to participate in the EHR Incentive Programs and what you need to do by visiting our Getting Started page. Registering does not commit you to participating in the program, so register early!
Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) should visit our Eligible Hospital Information page to learn about the EHR Incentive Programs
Sequestration and the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs
Incentive payments made through the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program are subject to the mandatory reductions in federal spending known as sequestration, required by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 postponed sequestration for 2 months. As required by law, President Obama issued a sequestration order on March 1, 2013. Under these mandatory reductions, Medicare EHR incentive payments made to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will be reduced by 2%. This 2% reduction will be applied to any Medicare EHR incentive payment for a reporting period that ends on or after April 1, 2013. If the final day of the reporting period occurs before April 1, 2013, those incentive payments will not be subject to the reduction.
Please note that this reduction does not apply to Medicaid EHR incentive payments, which are exempt from the mandatory reductions.
Note: If you are a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), please visit our Medicare Advantage page.
The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
The EHR Incentive Program provides incentive payments for eligible healthcare providers to use EHR technology in ways that can positively impact patient care.
An electronic health record (EHR)—sometimes called an electronic medical record (EMR)—allows healthcare providers to record patient information electronically instead of using paper records. However, EHRs are often capable of doing much more than just recording information. The EHR Incentive Program asks providers to use the capabilities of their EHRs to achieve benchmarks that can lead to improved patient care.
The EHR Incentive Program is NOT a reimbursement program for purchasing or replacing an EHR. Providers have to meet specific requirements in order to receive incentive payments.
The EHR Incentive Programs are available for Medicare and Medicaid eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs). Although most hospitals will be able to receive a payment from both programs, eligible professionals must choose which program they want to participate in. The two programs are similar in many ways, but there are some important differences between them. Click on the links below to learn more about the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
| Medicare EHR Incentive Program | Medicaid EHR Incentive Program |
|---|---|
| Run by CMS | Run by Your State Medicaid Agency |
| Maximum incentive amount is $44,000 | Maximum incentive amount is $63,750 |
| Payments over 5 consecutive years | Payments over 6 years, does not have to be consecutive |
| Payment adjustments will begin in 2015 for providers who are eligible but decide not to participate | No Medicaid payment adjustments |
| Providers must demonstrate meaningful use every year to receive incentive payments. | In the first year providers can receive an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, or upgrading EHR technology. Providers must demonstrate meaningful use in the remaining years to receive incentive payments. |
Click on our eligibility tool below to learn whether you are eligible to receive an incentive payment under either the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs—or scroll down to learn more. (To learn which hospitals are eligible to participate in the program, visit our Eligible Hospital Information page.)
| Eligible professionals under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program include: | Eligible professionals under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program include: |
| Doctor of medicine or osteopathy | Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy) |
| Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine | Nurse practitioner |
| Doctor of podiatry | Certified nurse-midwife |
| Doctor of optometry | Dentist |
| Chiropractor | Physician assistant who furnishes services in a Federally Qualified Health Center of Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant. |