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ARRA will provide considerable financial incentives for many types of physicians who utilize EHRs. The IT incentives referenced in ARRA are designed to accelerate adoption of EHRs to improve physician efficiency, increase patient safety and improve the cost-effectiveness, consistency and quality of care.
Physicians may be eligible for these incentives whether they currently maintain an EHR or if they implement an EHR for the first time.
While details are still being finalized, at this point we know that ARRA:
- Contains considerable financial incentives, grants and loans to accelerate the adoption of healthcare IT, including up to $44,000 for Medicare and $64,000 for Medicaid per physician.
- Has defined timelines associated with “meaningful use” of EHRs.
- Ties funding and incentives to meaningful use of certified technology systems
While Medicare Incentives for Eligible Professionals is specific only to physicians as defined in the Social Security Act, Medicaid incentives include a broader definition of “eligible professional” to mean a:
- Physician
- Dentist
- Certified nurse midwife
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician assistant insofar as the assistant is practicing in a rural health clinic that is led by a physician assistant or is practicing in a federally qualified health center that is so led.
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