What Does CCHIT EHR Certification Mean For Receiving Financial Incentives Under the ARRA?

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Ilana Sable

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology ("CCHIT"), a non-profit organization that independently certifies health information technology, has put together a preliminary ARRA certification criteria for EHR (pdf) that it believes will meet the requirements for receiving EHR financial incentives available under the ARRA.

Currently, CCHIT is the only Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") recognized certifying body.  As such, it will likely determine which EHR software will enable providers to make  "meaningful use" of their EHR when HHS publishes the final definition of  "meaningful use." When the definition is published, certification will be necessary for providers to receive the financial incentives available under the ARRA. 

The preliminary guide focuses on Ambulatory and In Patient EHR, and promises ongoing updates as more information becomes available. 

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Definition of "Meaningful Use" Expected in Late 2009

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Ilana Sable

As an update on the progress that Health and Human Services (“HHS”), in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and the National Coordinator for Health Information, is making toward defining “meaningful use," HHS is reporting that the proposed rule (defining “meaningful use”), is targeted for publication in late 2009.
 

On a related issue, recently, I have been receiving an increasing number of questions from readers wondering whether their practices will be among those eligible for incentive payments under the ARRA.  My response has always been, and remains, that these questions can not be answered until the exact definition of "meaningful use" is fleshed out.  However, in the interim, HHS has defined "eligible professional" in the following ways:


For the Medicare Incentives:

A physician as defined in section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act, which includes the following five types of professional:

  1. Doctor of medicine or osteopathy
  2.  Doctor of dental surgery or medicine
  3. Doctor of podiatric medicine
  4. Doctor of optometry
  5. Chiropractor

For the Medicaid Incentives:

  • Physicians
  • Dentists
  • Certified nurse-midwives
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Physician Assistants who are participating in Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Clinics led by physician assistants.

I hope that helps to clear up some of the confusion.

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