Meaningful Use and Incentives

“Meaningful Use” is the term used by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to describe the measures eligible healthcare providers must meet to qualify for, and receive, financial incentives for using ONC-certified EHRs under the CMS EHR Incentive Program. The program includes both eligible professionals (physicians) and eligible hospitals.

Eligibility and Incentives

Incentives for eligible professionals will range from a maximum of $44,000 per eligible provider over five years under Medicare, or $63,750 maximum under Medicaid paid out over six years. Participation in the EHR incentive program is voluntary. Eligible professionals can choose to participate under either Medicare or Medicaid, but cannot participate in both at the same time. In the Medicare program, physicians will face reductions in payment beginning in 2015 if they do not demonstrate Meaningful Use.

Medicare Program

  • An eligible professional is a doctor of medicine or osteopathy, a doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine, a doctor of podiatric medicine, a doctor of optometry, or a chiropractor, who is legally authorized to practice under state law.
  • Eligible hospitals include acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals.  Hospital-based EPs who furnish 90% or more of their services in either the inpatient or emergency department of a hospital DO NOT qualify for Medicare EHR incentive payments.

Medicaid Program

  • Eligible professionals (EPs) are physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and physician assistants practicing predominantly in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic (FQHC/RHC) that is directed by a physician assistant.
  • Eligible hospitals that may participate are acute care hospitals and children’s hospitals. Hospital based EPs who furnish 90% or more of their services in either the inpatient or emergency department of a hospital DO NOT qualify for Medicaid EHR incentive payments.

To determine eligibility for either program, visit the CMS EHR Incentive Program eligibility tool.

Meeting Meaningful Use

Meaningful use is met when eligible professionals use an ONC-certified EHR to electronically exchange health information and meet clinical quality and other criteria to improve health care quality.

Meaningful use includes three stages; each currently two years in duration, depending upon the date in which the first incentive payment is received.

Stage 1 includes both a core set and a menu set of objectives and measures specific to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals, as well as reporting of certain clinical quality measures.

To meet meaningful use stage one, eligible professionals must:

  • Meet 15 core objectives that enable EHRs to support improved health care
  • Meet five additional objectives from a menu of 10 to implement in 2011-2012
  • Must report six total Clinical Quality Measures (three core or alternate core, and three out of 38 from alternate set)

To meet meaningful use stage one eligible hospitals must:

  • Meet 14 core objectives
  • Meet five additional objectives from a menu of 10 to implement in 2011-2012
  • Report 15 Clinical Quality Measures

Visit the CMS Meaningful Use page for a complete list of the Stage One Objectives and Measures.

Attest to Meaningful Use and Receive Payments

Medicare Eligible Providers

Registration for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is now open. Eligible healthcare providers must register with CMS to receive the EHR Incentive from the program for which you are covered and eligible. CMS has made the following resources available to help providers navigate this process.

  • Medicare registration user guide for eligible professionals 
  • Medicare and Medicaid registration user guide for eligible hospitals 
  • Registration and attestation portal for eligible professionals and hospitals 
  • This tutorial video will provide Eligible Professionals with a step-by-step guide to help ensure the registration process is a success. 

Medicaid Eligible Providers

Registration for the Medicaid (MaineCare) EHR Incentive Program is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011. MaineCare is targeting to launch its Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in fall 2011. The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program runs from 2011 through 2021. The last year to begin program participation is 2016. Visit the MaineCare EHR incentive Program website for more information.