CMS updates EHR FAQs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted new frequently asked questions (FAQs) concerning the latest information on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
The new questions and answers address eligibility, certified EHR technology, meaningful use and attestation. They include:
If I am receiving payments under the CMS e-prescribing (eRx) incentive program, can I also receive Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments?
CMS: No, if an eligible professional (EP) earns an incentive under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, he or she cannot receive an incentive payment under the eRx Incentive Program in the same program year, and vice versa. However, if an EP earns an incentive under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, he or she can receive an incentive payment under the eRx Incentive Program in the same program year.
If my certified EHR technology is capable of submitting batch files to an immunization registry using the standards adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, is that sufficient to meet the meaningful use objective "submit electronic data to immunization registries" for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs?
CMS: Submitting batch files to an immunization registry, provided that they are formatted according to the standards adopted by the ONC, is sufficient to meet the meaningful use objective "submit electronic data to immunization registries." If the immunization registry does not accept information in the standard to which your EHR technology has been certified--that is, if your EHR is certified to the HL7 2.3.1 standard and the immunization registry only accepts HL7 2.5.1, or vice versa--and if the immunization registry is the only immunization registry to which you can submit such information, then you can claim an exclusion to this meaningful use objective because the immunization registry does not have the capacity to receive the information electronically. Please note that in accordance with 42 CFR §§ 495.6(e)(9) and (g)(8), to claim the exclusion, there must be "no immunization registry" that has the capacity to receive the hospital's or EP's information.
Click here to see the complete FAQs posting.
The new questions and answers address eligibility, certified EHR technology, meaningful use and attestation. They include:
If I am receiving payments under the CMS e-prescribing (eRx) incentive program, can I also receive Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive payments?
CMS: No, if an eligible professional (EP) earns an incentive under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, he or she cannot receive an incentive payment under the eRx Incentive Program in the same program year, and vice versa. However, if an EP earns an incentive under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, he or she can receive an incentive payment under the eRx Incentive Program in the same program year.
If my certified EHR technology is capable of submitting batch files to an immunization registry using the standards adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, is that sufficient to meet the meaningful use objective "submit electronic data to immunization registries" for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs?
CMS: Submitting batch files to an immunization registry, provided that they are formatted according to the standards adopted by the ONC, is sufficient to meet the meaningful use objective "submit electronic data to immunization registries." If the immunization registry does not accept information in the standard to which your EHR technology has been certified--that is, if your EHR is certified to the HL7 2.3.1 standard and the immunization registry only accepts HL7 2.5.1, or vice versa--and if the immunization registry is the only immunization registry to which you can submit such information, then you can claim an exclusion to this meaningful use objective because the immunization registry does not have the capacity to receive the information electronically. Please note that in accordance with 42 CFR §§ 495.6(e)(9) and (g)(8), to claim the exclusion, there must be "no immunization registry" that has the capacity to receive the hospital's or EP's information.
Click here to see the complete FAQs posting.