By 2011, funds become available to all non-hospital practitioners who see Medicare patients to possibly receive $44,000 over the five year transition period.
Medicare Incentives
By 2011, funds become available to all non-hospital practitioners who see Medicare patients to possibly receive $44,000 over the five year transition period. Most importantly, those who have not adopted an EMR by January 1, 2015 will be penalized by a significant reduction in Medicare payments.
| Medicare Incentives Schedule |
| Year |
Eligible in 2011 |
Eligible in 2012 |
Eligible in 2013 |
Eligible in 2014 |
Eligible in 2015 |
| 2011 |
$18,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2012 |
$12,000 |
$18,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2013 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$15,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2014 |
$4,000 |
$8,000 |
$12,000 |
$12,000 |
$0 |
| 2015 |
$2,000 |
$4,000 |
$8,000 |
$8,000 |
$0 |
| 2016 |
$0 |
$2,000 |
$4,000 |
$4,000 |
$0 |
| Total |
$44,000 |
$44,000 |
$39,000 |
$24,000 |
$0 |
Medicaid Incentives
Available to non-hospital based clinicians, such as certified midwives and PAs in rural health clinics, are Medicaid incentives ranging over $63, 000 over a five year period. Approved participation would be by those who serve 30% of Medicaid patients or 20% for pediatricians. A startup incentive includes $21,000 in state loan funds in the first year toward the purchase a certified EMR. Once startup funds are received, providers proving "meaningful use" qualify for $8,500 annually for the remaining five years. For Medicaid, these include: physicians, certified nurse midwives, NPs and PAs.
| Medicaid Incentives Schedule |
| Year |
Eligible in 2011 |
Eligible in 2012 |
Eligible in 2013 |
Eligible in 2014 |
Eligible in 2015 |
| 2011 |
$21,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2012 |
$8,500 |
$21,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2013 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$21,000 |
$0 |
$0 |
| 2014 |
$8,500 |
$8,000 |
$8,500 |
$21,000 |
$0 |
| 2015 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$21,000 |
| 2016 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
| 2017 |
$0 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
| 2018 |
$0 |
$0 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
| 2019 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$8,500 |
$8,500 |
| 2020 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
$8,500 |
| Total |
$63,500 |
$63,500 |
$63,500 |
$63,500 |
$63,500 |
Penalty Box
Practices not actively using and reporting with a certified EMR will have their Medicare fee schedule reduced starting 2015: penalties apply to hospitals that are not using and reporting by October 2014. It is imperative to immediately search for and implement a certified EMR as delaying the process increases the risk that a practice will not demonstrate effective "meaningful use" of an EMR system, thus missing the incentive period starting 2011.