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Meaningful use payment adjustments begin

Physician Practice Insider, December 30, 2014

More than 257,000 eligible providers will start getting letters from CMS stating they will be paid 1% less by Medicare and Medicaid in 2015, as a result of failing to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records in 2013.

“More than 50% of eligible professionals will face penalties under the meaningful use program in 2015, a number that is even worse than we anticipated," says Steven J. Stack, MD, AMA president-elect.

The payment adjustments, CMS-speak for penalties, were prescribed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which also established the EHR incentive payment program which has since paid out more than $25 billion to eligible providers and hospitals.

To be levied starting January 5, the adjustments have only been in effect since October 2014, and so far have only applied to about 200 eligible hospitals. The new adjustments are the first to hit eligible professionals.

In addition, about 28,000 eligible providers will receive adjustments of 2%, because they had enrolled in both the incentive program and in CMS's ePrescribing incentive program, according to CMS.

Eligible providers will also be able to apply via an online application form to have their status reconsidered by CMS.

Read more on HealthLeaders Media.

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