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  WE AT H-DOX SIMPLIFY IT ALL FOR YOU!  
H-DOX is certified as a complete EHR system. This means that when you use H-DOX for your EHR and Practice Management system, and document Meaningful Use information you are then eligible to participate in the EHR incentive program and receive a stimulus check. (The program you participate in will depend on whether you qualify for Medicaid or Medicare). Join the growing list of healthcare providers who have received their incentive checks by using our EHR system!  
THIS IS THE LAW :  
 
What are EHR Incentives? What is HITECH Act?
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). Included in the ARRA is the 2011 Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH).

According to the Act, physicians are eligible to receive up to $44,000 in total incentives per physician from Medicare for meaningful use of a certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) starting in 2011. (Note: Physicians reimbursed by Medicaid can receive up to approximately $63,750 starting in 2011 based on state-defined guidelines.)
Are the HITECH incentives paid per physician or per medical practice?
HITECH incentives are paid per provider using a certified EHR system. As an example, a practice with one physician and one nurse practitioner using an EHR could qualify for $88,000 in Medicare incentives.
When does the incentive program begin?
  • Participation can begin as early as 2011.
  • To get the maximum incentive payment, Medicare eligible professionals must begin participation by 2012.
  • Incentive payments for eligible hospitals and CAHs may begin as early as 2011 and are based on a number of factors, beginning with a $2 million base payment.
 
 
 
 
  • Eligible professionals can receive up to $44,000 over five years under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. There's an additional incentive for eligible professionals who provide services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HSPA).
  • Note: For 2015 and later, Medicare eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs that do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will have a penalty or payment adjustment in their Medicare reimbursement
What is a certified EHR?  
  For the purposes of the Medicare and Medicaid Incentive Programs, eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must use certified EHR technology.

Certified EHR technology gives assurance to purchasers and other users that an EHR system or module offers the necessary technological capability, functionality, and security to help them meet the meaningful use criteria. Certification also helps providers and patients to be confident that the electronic health IT products and systems they use are secure, can maintain data confidentially, and can work with other systems to share information. For more information about which EHR systems and modules are certified for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive program, please visit http://healthit.hhs.gov/. 		 
What is the difference between complete EHR certification, and modular EHR certification?  
  - Complete EHR

A complete EHR is EHR technology that has been developed to meet all applicable certification criteria. A complete EHR is a single EHR system that meets every certification criteria without the need for add-on applications. The vendor of a complete EHR system will be responsible for completing necessary tasks to achieve certification. It is likely that most professionals who meet meaningful use in 2011 and 2012 will have selected an EHR that has met complete EHR certification criteria.

- EHR Module

An EHR module is any service, component, or combination thereof that can meet the requirements of at least one certification criterion. A professional can use a combination of individual modules to create their own complete EHR. As certification criteria expand, it is likely that these professionals will need to add additional modules from different vendors to continue meeting meaningful use criteria. Importantly, professionals need to ensure that their individual EHR modules are certified and that the combination of their modules covers all certification criteria. While individual EHR modules are certified, the combination of modules is not certified. So, it is the professional?s responsibility to perform a modular EHR 'gap analysis' to ensure they meet all current certification criteria.		  
What is Meaningful Use?  
  Meaningful Use is the phrase that was created as an umbrella term that refers to a set of 20 criteria that medical providers must meet in order to prove that they are using their EMR as an effective tool in their practice.

Meaningful Use consists of 15 core criteria that providers must complete in order to qualify for $44,000 or more in Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentives. There are 10 additional criteria that are considered "a la carte" menu items, from which only five need to be demonstrated by the medical provider. In total, each provider must complete 20 Meaningful Use criteria-listed in detail below-to qualify for stimulus payments during phase one of the EHR incentive program.(Click here for details on meaningful use criteria). 		 
What types of provider qualify for the EHR stimulus?  
  The following types of physicians and medical practitioners qualify for EHR stimulus  
Physicians- Doctor Medicine or Osteopathy-M.D or D.O, Doctor of Medicine-M.D or D.O, Doctor of Dental Surgery or Medicine-DDS or DDM, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, D.P,M, Doctor of optometry-O.D, Doctor of Chiropractic-D.C.

Medical practitioners- Physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, clinical social worker, clinical psychologist, registered dietician or nutrition professional.		  
     
   Important Dates/Medicare EHR Incentive Program  
 
• January 1, 2013 – Reporting period begins for eligible professionals for CY 2013.
  ° 90 days for the first year of participation.
  ° Entire year for subsequent years of participation.
• February 28, 2013 – Last day for eligible professionals to register and attest to receive an Incentive Payment for Medicare for calendar year    (CY) 2012.
• October 3, 2013 last day for EPs to begin 90-day reporting period for CY 2013.
• December 31st, 2013 – Reporting year ends for eligible professionals.
• January 1st, 2014 – Reporting period begins for EPs for CY 2014.
  ° 90 days for ALL participants.
  ° Stage 2 begins for EPs.
  ° EPs attest for a three-month reporting period, regardless of when they began participation in the program.
  ° LAST YEAR EPs CAN BEGIN PROGRAM.
• February 28, 2014 – Last Day for EPs to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for CY 2013.
• October 1, 2014 – ICD-10 code set implementation for full compliance. ICD-10 code sets will be required for services provided October 1, 2014 and after.
• October 3, 2014 – Last day for EPs to begin 90-day reporting period for CY 2014.
• December 31, 2014 – Reporting year ends for EPs.
Incentive payments to EPs are disbursed over the course of five program participation years. Participation years must be sequential in the NY Medicare EHR Incentive Program - participants may not skip years without penalty. Eligible EPs must participate by 2014 or they will be penalized. Beginning in 2015, Medicare eligible professionals who do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will be subject to a payment adjustment. The payment reduction starts at 1% and increases each year that a Medicare eligible professional does not demonstrate meaningful use, to a maximum of 5%.
Important Dates/NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program* (dates for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program may vary by State, please see website for your state for particular dates)
• August 23, 2012 – CMS MU Stage 2 Final Rule published.
• November 2, 2012 – MEIPASS open for MU attestation.
• December 31, 2012 – Payment Year 2012 closes/90 day grace period begins.
• January 1, 2013 – Payment Year 2013 opens.
• March 31, 2013 – Payment Year 2012 attestation deadline.
Incentive payments to EPs are disbursed over the course of six program participation years. Participation years need not be sequential in the NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Program - participants may skip years without penalty, although the last year to receive incentive payments is 2021. The last year that a provider can begin receiving payments is 2016.
 
Medicaid eligible professionals can receive an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, or upgrading,certified EHR technology in their first year of participation. In subsequent participation years, Medicaid eligible professionals can receive incentive payments for successfully demonstrating meaningful use.
 
SO GIVE US A CALL AT 917-546-9188 AND LET US SHOW YOU WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU TO SECURE YOUR STIMULUS CHECKS !