CMS Issues New Version of FAQs for EHR Incentive Payment Program

CMS Issued new version of FAQs in an Excel workbook in August 23, 2012.

CMS EHR FAQs 2012 (ZIP) Excerpted from Downloads section on FAQs page on August 26, 2012. Workbook within zip file.
As of 8/29/2012, THE ABOVE DOWNLOADABLE FILES HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN AND ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED SOON.

FAQs By Topic: Electronic Health Records Incentive Programs

[EHR Incentive Programs] How and when will incentive payments for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EH…: For eligible professionals (EPs), incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will be made approximately f… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When eligible professionals work at more than one clinical site of practice, are t…: CMS considers these two separate, but related issues.Meaningful use: Any eligible professional demonstrating mean… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What do the numerators and denominators mean in measures that are required to demo…: There are 15 measures for EPs and 14 measures for eligible hospitals that require the collection of data to calculate a … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What are the EHR reporting periods for eligible hospitals participating in both th…: There are two factors that determine the EHR reporting period for hospitals eligible for both the Medicare and Medica… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do specialty providers have to meet all of the meaningful use objectives for …: For eligible professionals (EPs) who participate in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, there are a tot… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If an eligible professional (EP) in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program wants to le…: EPs may use a clinic or group practice's patient volume as a proxy for their own under three conditions:(1) T… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Who can enter medication orders in order to meet the measure for the computerized …: Any licensed healthcare professional can enter orders into the medical record for purposes of including the order in the… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If an eligible professional (EP) sees a patient in a setting that does not have ce…: Yes for Stage 1, an EP may include patients seen in locations without certified EHR technology in the numerators and … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] In order to receive payments under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Rec…: In order to receive Medicare EHR incentive payments, EPs, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals must have… (more)
If an eligible professional (EP) is unable to meet the measure of a Meaningful Use objective because it is …: Some Meaningful Use objectives provide exclusions and others do not. Exclusions are available only when our regulations … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, i…: In most cases, an eligible professional or eligible hospital is not limited to demonstrating meaningful use to the ex… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective to "record and chart changes in vital signs" for …: An exclusion for this objective is provided only for EPs who either see no patients 2 years or older, or who believe … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, d…: For the hospital meaningful use objectives, the denominator is all unique patients admitted to an inpatient (POS 21) or … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For meaningful use objectives of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Recor…: No, if multiple EPs are using the same certified EHR technology in different physical locations/settings (e.g., differen… (more)
For eligible professionals (EPs) who see patients in both inpatient and outpatient settings (e.g., hospital…: In this case, EPs should base both the numerators and denominators for meaningful use objectives on the number of unique… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] My practice does not typically collect information on any of the core, alternate c…: EPs are not excluded from reporting clinical quality measures, but zero is an acceptable value for the CQM denominato… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective of "capability to exchange key clinical informati…: For the purposes of the "capability to exchange key clinical information" measure, exchange is defined as electronic tra… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What information must an eligible professional provide in order to meet the measur…: In our final rule, we defined "clinical summary" as: an after-visit summary that provides a patient with relevant and ac… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can an eligible professional (EP) implement an electronic health record (EHR) syst…: For a Medicare EP's first payment year, the EHR reporting period is a continuous 90-day period within a calendar year… (more)
If a provider feeds data from certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to a data warehouse, can …: To be a meaningful EHR user a provider must do three things:Have complete certified EHR technology for all meani… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] A number of measures for Meaningful Use objectives for eligible hospitals and crit…: There are two methods for calculating ED admissions for the denominators for measures associated with Stage 1 of Mean… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Is my practice eligible to receive incentive payments through the Medicare and Med…: Incentive payments are not made to practices but to individual eligible professionals (EPs). For more information abo… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can two separate practices with two different Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) pu…: Yes. Incentive payments are made based on the demonstration of meaningful use by individual eligible professionals (E… (more)
[EHR Incentive Program] I am an eligible professional (EP) who has successfully attested for the Medicare E…: For EPs, incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will be made approximately four to eight weeks aft… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can eligible professionals (EPs) receive electronic health record (EHR) incentive …: Not for the same year. If an EP meets the requirements of both programs, they must choose to receive an EHR incentive pa… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What information must an eligible professional provide in order to meet the measur…: In our final rule, we defined "clinical summary" as: an after-visit summary that provides a patient with relevant and ac… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, h…: To report clinical quality measures, eligible hospitals and CAHs that have multiple systems should generate a report … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a provider purchases a certified Complete Electronic Health Record (EHR) or has…: No, the provider would not be able to successfully demonstrate meaningful use. To successfully demonstrate meaningful… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective of "record demographics" for the Medicare and Med…: Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must record in the patient's EHR the clinical impression and … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, how are the reporting periods for Medicaid…: Regardless of when the previous incentive payment was made, the following reporting periods apply for the Medicaid EH… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Is a hospital participating in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs re…: The technical specifications issued by CMS for the clinical quality measures under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Ince… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What lab tests should be included in the denominator of the measure for the "incor…: For the "incorporate clinical lab-test results" objective, the denominator consists of the number of lab tests ordere… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, how will non-standard (or ir…: This question was addressed in our Federal Register preamble (75 FR 44452) and in our rules requiring the use of a 12… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When calculating Medicaid patient volume or needy patient volume for the Medicaid …: There are multiple definitions of encounter in terms of how it applies to the various requirements for patient volume… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If an eligible professional (EP) does not accept assignment for Medicare Part B, i…: An EP that is not a Medicare participating physician or supplier, but still submits claims to Medicare for Part B phy… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Will the resident physicians be eligible to participate in the Medicare and Medica…: For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, all eligible professionals must meet their state's scope of practice rules to pa… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do providers have to contribute a minimum dollar amount toward their certified EHR…: There is no general requirement under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for providers to contribute a … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can an eligible hospital implement an electronic health record (EHR) system a…: For an eligible hospital's first payment year, the EHR reporting period is a continuous 90-day period within a Federa… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To what attestation statements must an eligible professional (EP), eligible hospit…: Currently, the attestation process requires EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs to indicate that they agree with the fo… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective of "capability to exchange key clinical informati…: No, the use of physical media such as a CD-ROM, a USB or hard drive, or other formats to exchange key clinical inform… (more)
Are nursery days and nursery discharges (for newborns) included as acute-inpatient services in the calculat…: No, nursery days and discharges are not included in inpatient bed-day or discharge counts in calculating hospital incent… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are optometrists considered eligible professionals for the Medicaid EHR Incen…: Under Medicare, a doctor of optometry is considered a physician (and therefore an EP) with respect to all services the o… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, h…: EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs should look at the measure of each meaningful use objective to determine the approp… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do providers register only once for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Re…: Providers are only required to register once for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. However, they must… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are professional services rendered by physicians or other eligible professional th…: No. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act created an EHR incentive payment … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the Stage 1 public health meaningful use objectives (submitting infor…: CMS recognizes that there are a variety of methods in which the exchange of public health information could take place. … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Must providers have their electronic health record (EHR) technology certified prio…: No. An EP or hospital may begin the EHR reporting period for demonstrating Meaningful Use before their EHR technology… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Will academic physicians employed by an academic medical center billing under the …: Physicians who furnish substantially all, defined as 90% or more, of their covered professional services in either an… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do States need to verify the "installation" or "a signed contract" for adopt, impl…: States should make clear to providers when they attest for AIU what documentation they must maintain, and for how lon… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] After successfully demonstrating meaningful use for the Medicare and Medicaid Elec…: Eligible professionals (EPs) participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program will receive a single lump sum payme… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, h…: The CPOE measure is structured to minimize reporting burden. However, if all of the following conditions a… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are mental health practitioners eligible to participate in the Medicare and Medica…: Mental health providers would only be eligible for incentive payments if they meet the criteria of a Medicare or Medi… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If an eligible hospital or critical access hospital (CAH) has a rehabilitation uni…: No. CMS specified in the final rule that the statutory definition of "hospital" used in the EHR Incentive Program doe… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Is the physician the only person who can enter information in the electronic healt…: No. The Final Rule for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, specifies that in order to meet the meaningful … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For large practices, will there be a method to register all of the Eligible Profes…: In April 2011, CMS implemented functionality that allows an EP to designate a third party to register and attest on h… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, when a patient is only seen …: The EP can include or not include those patients in their denominator at their discretion as long as the decision app… (more)
How should eligible professionals (EPs) select menu objectives for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Hea…: EPs are required to report on a total of 5 meaningful use objectives from the menu set. When selecting five objectives f… (more)
For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, how does an eligible professional (EP) determine whet…: All cases where the EP and the patient have an actual physical encounter with the patient in which they render any servi… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How should nursery day patients be counted in the denominators of meaningful use m…: Nursery days are excluded from the calculation of hospital incentives because they are not considered inpatient-bed-d… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What are the requirements for dentists participating in the Medicaid EHR Incentive…: Dentists must meet the same eligibility requirements as other eligible professionals (EP) in order to qualify for pay… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Does the person who completes the registration for the Medicare and Medicaid Elect…: No. For Medicare providers, CMS has determined that if there are multiple users approved to work on behalf of an elig… (more)
What is the reporting period for eligible hospitals participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic H…: For an eligible hospital or critical access hospital's first payment year, the EHR reporting period is a continuous 9… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If my certified EHR technology only includes the capability to submit information …: If the immunization registry does not accept information in the standard to which your EHR technology has been certif… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If the denominators for all three of the core clinical quality measures are zero, …: If the denominator value for all three of the core clinical quality measures is zero, an EP must report a zero denominat… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How will I attest for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Inc…: Medicare eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will have to demonstrate meaningful use through CMS' web-based… (more)
What information must an eligible professional (EP), eligible hospital or critical access hospital (CAH) pr…: In our final rule, we limited the information that must be provided electronically to that information that exists elect… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] In order to meet the participation threshold of 50 percent of patient encounters i…: To be a meaningful EHR user, an EP must have 50 percent or more of their patient encounters during the EHR reporting … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the "Incorporate clinical lab-test results" menu objective of the Medicare and…: For the "Incorporate clinical lab-test results" menu objective, a provider's certified EHR technology might return a … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If data is captured using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology, can…: By definition, certified EHR technology must include the capability to electronically record the numerator and denomi… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] I am an eligible professional (EP) for whom none of the core, alternate core, or a…: In the event that none of the 44 clinical quality measures applies to an EP's patient population, the EP is still req… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the meaningful use objective “capability to exchange key clinical informat…: In order to meet this objective, clinical information must be sent between different legal entities with distinct certif… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What cost report data elements are used in the EHR incentive payment calculation f…: The current Medicare cost report, Form CMS 2552-96, will be used until the implementation of the new Medicare cost re… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For meaningful use objectives of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Recor…: Yes, it is acceptable to conduct a test of information exchange from a test environment or test domain of certified EHR … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can eligible professionals (EPs) use clinical quality measures from the alternate …: No, if EPs report data on all three clinical quality measures from the core set, they would not report on any from th… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are there any special incentives for rural providers in the Medicare and Medicare …: Under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, the maximum allowed charge threshold for the annual incentive payment limit… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is the definition of "reasonable cost" for critical access hospitals (CAHs) u…: The reasonable costs for which a CAH may receive an EHR incentive payment are the reasonable acquisition costs for th… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a hospital is eligible to participate in both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Inc…: If your hospital meets all of the following qualifications, it is dually-eligible for the Medicare and Medicai… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, is there a minimum number of hours per w…: Yes, a part-time EP who meets all other eligibility requirements could qualify for payments under the Medicaid EHR In… (more)
How is hospital-based status determined for eligible professionals in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic …: A hospital-based eligible professional (EP) is defined as an EP who furnishes 90% or more of their covered professional … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Does a provider have to record all clinical data in their certified EHR technology…: We recognize that providers are continuing to implement new workflow processes to accurately capture clinical data in… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, can a non-hospital based eligible professi…: Yes, an EP who sees patients in an in-patient setting, and is not hospital based, can include the in-patient encounte… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What if a group of providers purchase and share certified EHR technology? Can…: Yes, but only the portion that pertains to the specific CAH. If there is a special arrangement whe… (more)
For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, should patient encounters …: Yes. EPs who practice in multiple locations must have 50 percent or more of their patient encounters during the reportin… (more)
[EHR Incentive Payments] How much are the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive pa…: Under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, EPs who demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology can receive up … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If an eligible professional (EP) meets the criteria for both the Medicare and Medi…: EPs Yes. EPs who meet the eligibility requirements for both the Medicare and Medicaid incentive programs … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is the earliest date the payment adjustments will start to be imposed on Medi…: Medicare payment adjustments will begin in 2015 for EPs and eligible hospitals that do not demonstrate meaningful use… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Under the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, if an eligibl…: First, it is important to note that when discussing 2013, CMS stated that it expects to engage in another cycle of ru… (more)
Can the drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction alerts of my electronic health record (EHR) also be used to …: No. The drug-drug and drug-allergy checks and the implementation of one clinical decision support rule are separate core… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the meaningful use objective "use certified EHR technology to identify pat…: In the patient-specific education resources objective, education resources or materials do not have to be stored with… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Will ambulatory surgical centers be eligible for incentive payments under the Medi…: Ambulatory surgical centers are not eligible for EHR incentive payments. The following types of institutional provide… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] I entered numerator and denominator information during my Medicare Electronic Heal…: CMS does not plan to conduct an audit to find providers who relied on flawed software for their attestation informati… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, if the EHR Repo…: The payment year is the year for which the payment is made (see 42 CFR 495.4 and the definition of “First, second, th… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the Meaningful Use objective "maintain an up-to-date problem list of curre…: The Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs do not specify the use of ICD-9 and SNOME… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How can I change my attestation information after I have attested and/or received …: If you discover that the information you entered during your Medicare attestation was not complete and accurate for some… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If the State chooses to use the cost report in the Medicaid EHR incentive hospital…: Based on the Medicare cost report guidance, Form CMS 2552-96 will be used until the implementation of the new Medicar… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can an eligible professional (EP) use EHR technology certified for an inpatient se…: Yes. For objectives and measures where the capabilities and standards of EHR technology designed and certified for an… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When will a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) receive its Medicare EHR incentive paym…: Upon submission of a successful attestation, the CAH will be eligible for an EHR incentive payment. In order for the … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How do I know if my electronic health record (EHR) system is certified? How can I …: The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs require the use of certified EHR technology, as established by a new se… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) sites have to meet the 30% minimum Med…: Eligible professionals may participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program if: 1) They meet Medicaid patient volume… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What provisions are there for tribal clinics to receive payments from the Medicare…: Clinics are not eligible for EHR incentive payments. However, eligible professionals who qualify for an EHR incentive pa… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, i…: No, the EP is not responsible for determining the status of CQMs that their certified EHR technology is not capable o… (more)
Are physicians who practice in hospital-based ambulatory clinics eligible to receive Medicare or Medicaid e…: A hospital-based eligible professional (EP) is defined as an EP who furnishes 90% or more of their services in either in… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When will a Medicare Subsection (d) Hospital be paid under the Medicare EHR Incent…: Upon submission of a successful attestation of meaningful use, the hospital will be eligible for an EHR incentive pay… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is the maximum electronic health record (EHR) incentive an eligible professio…: EPs who successfully demonstrate meaningful use certified EHR technology as early as 2011 or 2012 may be eligible for… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, can a qualifying eligible professional (…: Yes, EPs are permitted to reassign their incentive payments to their employer or to an entity with which they have a … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] In recording height as part of the core Meaningful Use objective "Recording vital …: In cases where taking an actual height measurement is inappropriate, self-reported or estimated height can be used…. (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are eligible professionals (EPs) who practice in State Mental Health and Long Term…: The setting in which a physician, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or dentist practices is generally irre… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When calculating inpatient bed days for the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR…: Swing beds days that are used to furnish skilled nursing facility (SNF) or nursing facility-level care would not norm… (more)
What if the Home Office purchases the certified EHR technology for the Critical Access Hospital (CAH)?: If the certified EHR technology assets were purchased by the Home Office for the CAH, and the CAH meets the Meaningful U… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective of "generate and transmit prescriptions electroni…: The denominator for this objective consists of the number of prescriptions written for drugs requiring a prescription… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can eligible professionals participate in the 2011 Physician Quality Reporting Sys…: The Physician Quality Reporting System, eRx Incentive Program, and EHR Incentive Program are three distinctly separat… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are Medicaid eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals subject to paymen…: There are no payment adjustments or penalties for Medicaid providers who fail to demonstrate meaningful use.F… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a patient is dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, can they be counte…: For purposes of calculating the Medicaid share, a patient cannot be counted in the numerator if they would count for … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If my certified electronic health record (EHR) technology is capable of submitting…: Submitting batch files to an immunization registry, provided that they are formatted according to the standards adopt… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How does CMS define Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and Rural Health Cent…: The Social Security Act at section 1905(l)(2) defines an FQHC as an entity which, "(i) is receiving a grant under sec… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] One of the menu set Meaningful Use objectives for the Medicare and Medicaid Electr…: The only requirement to meet the measure of this objective is that more than 40 percent of all clinical lab tests result… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the meaningful use objective "use computerized provider order entry (CPOE)…: If the patient has records that are maintained in both the hospital's certified EHR system and the EP's certified EHR sy… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] It seems that each State has the latitude to define the 12-month period from which…: No, this is not correct. The regulation is clear that the discharge-related amount must be calculated using a 12-mont… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) include costs to lease/rent certified EHR tec…: Under the statute and the regulations, the CAHs EHR incentive payment shall only include reasonable costs for the pur… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] To meet the meaningful use objective "provide patients with an electronic copy of …: If the request for an electronic copy of their health information is made by a patient to a specific EP, then the pat… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can Critical Access Hospital (CAH) costs only be included in the first year for Me…: No, if the CAH incurs reasonable costs for certified EHR technology in subsequent payment years, it may receive addit… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How does CMS define pediatrician for purposes of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program?: CMS does not define pediatrician for this program. Pediatricians have special eligibility and payment flexibilities o… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] One of the measures for the core set of clinical quality measures for eligible pro…: An eligible professional (EP) is not excluded from reporting core clinical quality measures. However, zero is an accepta… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What if a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) purchases certified EHR technology, and t…: The CAH may only include the portion of the reasonable costs of the hardware that pertains to certified EHR technolog… (more)
What is the reporting period for eligible professionals (EPs) participating in the electronic health record…: For demonstrating meaningful use through both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, the EHR reporting period… (more)
Do I need to have an electronic health record (EHR) system in order to register for the Medicare and Medica…: You do not need to have a certified EHR in order to register for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Howev… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How will eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals apply for i…: Registration for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is open and available online at … (more)
In a group practice, will each provider need to demonstrate meaningful use in order to get Medicare and Med…: Yes. Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments are made on a per EP basis, not by practice. Each EP will need to demonstr… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Will EHR Incentive Payments be subject to audits under OMB Circular A-133?: Incentive payments made to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals under the Medicar… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, i…: Through 2013, yes, the EP can submit results for CQMs in the additional set (Table 6 of the Stage 1 final rule) calcu… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a patient visit spans several days and the patient is seen by multiple eligible…: When a patient visit lasts several days and the patient is seen by multiple EPs, a single clinical summary at the end… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can providers participating in the Medicare or Medicaid Electronic Health Record (…: Yes, providers who have registered for the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs may correct errors or update i… (more)
Do controlled substances qualify as "permissible prescriptions" for meeting the electronic prescribing (eRx…: The term "permissible prescriptions" refers to the restrictions that were established by the Department of Justice (DOJ)… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a dually-eligible hospital initially registers only for the Medicaid EHR Incent…: Hospitals that are eligible for EHR incentive payments under both Medicare and Medicaid should select "Both Medicare … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can I use the electronic specifications for clinical quality measures to satisfy b…: No. Each program has specific specifications for reporting. In the future CMS expects to harmonize specifications bet… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Where can I find a list of public health agencies and immunization registries to s…: For information and/or instructions on where to submit your public health-related data, please contact your local or … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective of "provide summary care record for each transiti…: No, patients who transition between EPs within the same practice and who share the same certified EHR technology should … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a provider purchases a Complete Electronic Health Record (EHR) but opts to use …: To successfully demonstrate meaningful use a provider must do three things:1. Have certified EHR technology capa… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What costs can be included in the Critical Access Hospital's Medicare EHR incentiv…: The EHR incentive payment shall only include reasonable costs for the purchase of certified EHR technology to which p… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] How should patients in swing beds be counted in the denominators of meaningful use…: A number of the meaningful use measures for eligible hospitals and CAHs require the denominator to be based on the nu… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] The billing provider on a claim is an eligible professional (EP) but the performin…: In establishing an encounter for purposes of patient volume, please see the regulations at 495.306(e)(2)(i)-(ii) at 7… (more)
Are physicians who work in hospitals eligible to receive Medicare or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR…: Physicians who furnish substantially all, defined as 90% or more, of their covered professional services in either an in… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can eligible professionals (EPs) allow another person to register or attest for them?: Yes. Users registering or attesting on behalf of an EP must have an Identity and Access Management System (I&A) w… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What if the Home Office leases the certified EHR technology and allocates it to th…: If the Home Office is leasing the certified EHR technology, and allocating cost to the CAH, it cannot be included in … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] In order to satisfy the Meaningful Use objective for electronic prescribing (eRx) …: The meaningful use measure for e-prescribing is the electronic transmission of 40 percent of all permissible prescrip… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] The meaningful use standards for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Recor…: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has awarded funds to 56 states, eligib… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are payments from the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incenti…: We note that nothing in the Act excludes such payments from taxation or as tax-free income. Therefore, it is our belief … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Is data sharing with neighboring States permitted regarding total Medicaid days fo…: Yes. The CMS Stage 1 final rule clarifies the policy about calculating patient volume for Medicaid provide… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) under the Medicare and…: No. For all clinical quality measures reported for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, the certified EH… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What if a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) purchases certified EHR technology, but i…: The CAH may only include the portion of the reasonable costs of the system that pertains to certified EHR technology … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is meaningful use, and how does it apply to the Medicare and Medicaid Electro…: Under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH Act), which was enacted under the Ameri… (more)
How will the public know who has received EHR incentive payments under Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive …: As required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, CMS will post the names, business addresses, and busi… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the meaningful use objective "Capability to submit electronic syndromic survei…: Syndromic surveillance uses individual and population health indicators that are available before confirmed diagnoses… (more)
Under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, will the requirement that eligible professionals and eligible hos…: If the State required any of the public health measures as core measures for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, then th… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] My electronic health record (EHR) system is CCHIT certified. Does that mean it is …: No. All EHR systems and technology must be certified specifically for this program. The Certified Health IT Product L… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the “Incorporate clinical lab-test results” menu objective of the Medicare and…: For the “Incorporate clinical lab-test results” menu objective, a provider’s certified EHR technology might return a … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Per CMS #3017 (or old FAQ #10417), my tribal clinic is considered a Federally Qual…: Since your clinic receives IHS funding, the encounters are not truly "uncompensated", but the encounters would be con… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] When we count encounters in a clinic or medical group (or medical home model) for …: Our regulations did not address whether these non-EP encounters could be considered in the estimate of patient volume… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] In order to qualify for payment under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for havin…: Yes. This is an official letter from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the IHS clinic genera… (more)
If I am receiving payments under the CMS Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program, can I also receive…: No, if an eligible professional (EP) earns an incentive under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, he or she cannot recei… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs' clinical quality measures (C…: The measure steward recommends that hospitals use the data element 'ED Patient', defined as any patient receiving car… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can a federally-owned Indian Health Service facility qualify as an eligible hospit…: Acute care hospitals under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program must: · Have an average length of stay of 2… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If patients are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, can they be counte…: For purposes of calculating the Medicaid share, a patient cannot be counted in the numerator if they would count for … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What if my electronic health record (EHR) system costs much more than the incentiv…: The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide incentives for the meaningful use of certified EHR technolog… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, …: To receive an EHR incentive payment, the provider (eligible professional (EP), eligible hospital or critica… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is the purpose of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology?: Certification of EHR technology will provide assurance to purchasers and other users that an EHR system or product of… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] We are a tribal clinic with one full-time physician, one part-time pediatrician, o…: Clinics are not directly eligible for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program payments, however if the practitioners at yo… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a State utilizes the option to include patient panels when looking at patient v…: The requirements for this option to calculate patient volume are to account for eligible professionals treating patients… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Under the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, if a provider…: This is correct. 24 CFR 495.4 establishes a one-time exception for providers attesting to meaningful use in 2014 during … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, who do I contact to suggest …: Please contact the measure steward (the entity responsible for maintaining and updating a clinical quality measure) i… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, how do we determine Medicaid patient volum…: CMS leaves it up to the states how to operationalize the patient volume considerations of global payments with the follo… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Where can I get answers to my privacy and security questions about electronic heal…: The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the Privacy and Security rules related to the HITECH p… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are physicians who are employed directly by a tribally-operated facility and who m…: Physicians are one of the categories of eligible professionals under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. If they… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Will long term care providers such as nursing homes be eligible for incentive paym…: Nursing homes, per se, are not eligible. The following types of institutional providers are eligible for EHR incentiv… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are the criteria for needy patient volumes under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Progra…: Criteria for minimum patient volumes attributable to needy individuals apply only to EPs practicing predominantly in … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is the maximum incentive an eligible professional (EP) can receive under the …: EPs who adopt, implement, upgrade, and meaningfully use EHRs can receive a maximum of $63,750 in incentive payments f… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What safeguards are in place to ensure that Medicaid electronic health record (EHR…: Like the Medicare EHR incentive program, neither the statute nor the CMS Stage 1 final rule dictate how a Medicaid … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are pediatric subspecialists considered pediatricians for purposes of qualifying u…: For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, States will define “pediatrician” in a manner consistent with how they define… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For calculation of a Medicaid hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) incentive …: The average annual growth rate should be for discharges (see 1903(t)(5)(B), referring to the annual rate of growth of… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Do recipients of Medicare or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive pay…: No. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments made to providers are not subject to Recovery Act 1512 reporting… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Does the provision requiring that States pay the incentive "without deduction or r…: The requirement that the incentives be passed to providers "without deduction or rebate" refers to requiring that the… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can tribal clinics be treated as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) for th…: CMS previously issued guidance stating that health care facilities owned and operated by American Indian and Alaska Nati… (more)
[EHR Incentiver Programs] If a State proposes a new definition for meaningful use under its Medicaid EHR In…: Yes, if a State wishes to request flexibility with the definition of meaningful use, to the extent permissible under … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Does a State have the option of solely using a state-submitted alternative methodo…: Yes, the State can submit to us for approval only the alternative methodology that meets the requirements of 495.306(g)…. (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] If a State has a team of staff members who will be administering the Medicaid EHR …: Yes. However, if state staff members are not working full-time on the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, their salaries … (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can hospitals in the U.S. Territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, Northern…: Hospitals in the U.S. Territories cannot receive incentive payments under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. For the… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Who is Figliozzi and Company?: Figliozzi and Company will be performing the meaningful use audits for CMS. If you are selected for an audit you… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Is there an assumption or expectation from CMS that States identify local Regional…: States are not required to identify RECs as EHR adoption entities. Under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, it is en… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Assuming that the request excludes activities funded by the Office of the National…: The enhanced match rate depends upon whether the Health Information Exchange solution is using Medicaid Management In… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Can Indian Health Service (IHS) clinics or group practices qualify for the panel t…: Yes, the Indian Health Service (IHS) has managed care and/or primary care patient panels and would be able to qualify… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What is Stage 2 for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs?: In August 2012, CMS published a final rule that specifies the Stage 2 meaningful use criteria that eligible professio… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, what changes were made to St…: The August 23, 2012, final rule includes some changes to the Stage 1 meaningful use objectives, measures, and exclusi… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] The EHR Incentive Programs Stage 1 Rule stated that, in order for a Medicaid encou…: Importantly, this change affecting the Medicaid patient volume calculation is applicable to all eligible providers, r… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] The EHR Incentive Programs Stage 2 Rule describes changes to how a state considers…: States that have offered CHIP as part of a Medicaid expansion under Title 19 or Title 21 can include those patients i… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] Are there any changes in the EHR Incentive Programs Stage 2 Rule to the base year …: Yes. Previously Medicaid eligible hospitals calculated the base year using a 12 month period ending in the Federal fisca… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What are the payment adjustments for eligible professionals who are not participat…: As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Congress mandated payment adjustments to be app… (more)
[EHR Incentive Programs] What are the payment adjustments for eligible hospitals and critical access hospit…: As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Congress mandated payment adjustments to be app… (more)

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CMS Issues New Version of FAQs for EHR Incentive Payment Program

CMS Issued new version of FAQs in an Excel workbook in August 23, 2012.

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