Like many physicians, you may have put off purchasing an EHR system because of the cost. Now you’ve heard the government is offering a chunk of money to physicians who have EHRs. What should you do?
The first step is to understand what the government is and isn’t offering. Under the health IT provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, you won’t get any cash if you simply buy an EHR; you have to show that you’re using it in a “meaningful” way. And, except for a small loan program, the feds aren’t providing any money upfront. You still have to go out and purchase or lease a system yourself. But, starting in 2011, Medicare or Medicaid will reimburse you for part of the cost if you can demonstrate “meaningful” use of a qualified EHR.
Here’s how the program works: Non-hospital-based physicians who participate in Medicare or derive 30 percent or more of their business from Medicaid (20 percent for pediatricians) are eligible to receive subsidies. The maximum amounts for which you may be eligible range from Medicare payments of $44,000 to nearly $64,000 from Medicaid over a five-year period. You can apply for either of these programs, but not both, and physicians practicing in underserved areas are eligible for an extra 10 percent from Medicare. http://ping.fm/j0fuN
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