Dive Brief:
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has paid nearly $25 billion in provider incentives through its Meaningful Use program, according to a report released this week by CMS’ Office of e-Standards and Services.
- As of July, there were 487,866 active participants in the program. CMS reported that 92% of eligible hospitals have received payments; 90% of eligible professionals are registered for Meaningful Use and three-quarters of professionals who are eligible for the program have committed to implementing electronic medical records.
- Looking forward, however, the numbers may not be so bright. To date, only 795 providers and six hospitals have received payments for Stage 2 of Meaningful Use.
Dive Insight:
With so few providers meeting Stage 2 requirements, there will likely be much less money paid out in the coming years and more penalties levied. As Healthcare Dive reported, the biggest hurdle facing many providers in Stage 2 of Meaningful Use is patient engagement. To attest to Stage 2, 5% of a provider’s patients must use an online portal or electronic medical record. A second challenge is CMS’ requirement of a year-long reporting period for attestation. Hospitals that don’t meet these requirements will face losing 1% of future Medicare reimbursements.
Date: September 05, 2014
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