To register for the program, go to https://ehrincentives.cms.gov.

Download the Registration User Guide here.

$44,000 is the maximum incentive payout over 5 years if your first qualifying year is 2011 or 2012. BUT…your actual payment amount is based on 75% of your Medicare reimbursements for each payment year, up to the allowed amount for each year. The allowed maximum yearly reimbursement schedule is as follows:

1. Year 1: up to $18,000
2. Year 2: up to $12,000
3. Year 3: up to $8,000
4. Year 4: up to $4,000
5. Year 5: up to $2,000

The ONC has increased their flexibility to allow exceptions for specialty practices. However, your certified software must still provide the capability to meaningfully use and report on these requirements.

Exceptions for specialty practices include:

• e-prescribing: Eligible providers who order less than 100 medications during the EHR reporting periods are allowed to be excepted from e-prescribing requirements.
• CPOE (computerized physician order entry) use: Eligible providers who order less than 100 medications during the EHR reporting periods are allowed to be excepted from CPOE requirements.
• Clinical lab tests: Eligible providers who order no tests whose results are in a positive/negative or numerical format during the EHR reporting periods are allowed to be excepted from clinical lab test requirements.
• Immunizations: Eligible providers who administer no immunizations during the EHR Reporting period are allowed to be excepted from immunization requirements.

Providers must demonstrate 20 out of 25 meaningful use objectives (15 core items, 5 of 10 menu set items). Including the above exceptions, chiropractors are required to demonstrate 16 total meaningful use objectives.

If you are not a Medicare participating physician but you still submit claims to Medicare for Part B services on behalf of Medicare patients, you are still eligible. If you successfully register and demonstrate meaningful use of a certified EHR, your incentive payment will reflect claims for all services

Yes! ChiroTouch has gained complete certification through the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT).

The ONC maintains a list of certified EHR systems as a single, aggregate source of all certified EHRs on the CHPL site.

We have been fully invested in certifying our software in a timely manner to allow our clients eligibility. Rest assured that ChiroTouch has achieved complete certification to qualify you for this government program.

Only a software or combination of software systems that meets 100% of the certification requirements can qualify you for the stimulus rebate. Make sure that your practice management system intends to become a complete EHR. Modular certification of one software system is not enough to qualify you for this reimbursement. To track your vendor’s certification status:

1. Visit http://onc-chpl.force.com/ehrcert.
2. Search for your vendor or product name.
3. Add the product to your cart.
4. View your cart to see the percentage of certification criteria the selected software system(s) meets.

Ask the vendor if they plan on obtaining full EHR certification and what steps they have taken to do so. As each provider must attest on 90 days of meaningful use in their first qualifying year (2011 or 2012), your vendor must plan to be 100% certified by October 1, 2012 to qualify you for the maximum stimulus reimbursement.

Yes! If there are two approved providers in the same office, there is an opportunity for two incentives.

Having EHR technology that is certified by an ONC-ATCB is an essential part of qualifying for the EHR incentive payments. BUT...practicing the meaningful use necessary to retrieve a stimulus payment is up to the provider. Register now and familiarize yourself with the meaningful use measures and compliance requirements defined here: http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/Downloads/EP-MU-TOC.pdf

Take a look at the CMS Questions page for more information about the most popular questions being asked. You can also find important information on the CMS EHR Incentive Program webpage.

CMS offers a simulated run through the attestation process through their CMS Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator. This calculator allows you to simulate your actual attestation to help you understand what to expect.

Watch the ChiroTouch EHR Boot Camp and download the boot camp notes, and check out the American Medical Association's Meaningful Use Glossary