The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) paid $1.2 billion in Electronic Health Records systems incentive payments in December 2012. A health insurance specialist at CMS’ office of eHealth Standards and Services characterized the figure to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee by stating, “This is our single largest monthly payment by a factor of three.”
CMS estimates that Medicare and Medicaid incentives to hospitals for the month of December came to $1 billion, while over $250 million was paid to physicians and other healthcare professionals. Over $10 billion has been paid out since the EHR incentive programs were created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Meaningful use attestations and 2012 payment applications need to be filed soon. Users of EHR software like Medisoft Clinical, Lytec MD, and McKesson Practice Choice can attest and qualify for incentive payments, and the healthcare technology consultants at Microwize Technology can help.