NYSTEC Monitors Meaningful Use Criteria for Health IT
December 30, 2009
NYSTEC alerted its clients today that the federal government announced initial guidelines for “meaningful use” related to the stimulus program for the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by Medicaid and Medicare providers.
The new meaningful use criteria will enable the government to determine who will receive Medicare and Medicaid incentive funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Initial incentive payments will go to qualifying hospitals and physicians that demonstrate EHR capabilities beginning in 2011. The meaningful use guidelines become more stringent in 2013 and 2015. The program is part of the Obama administration’s effort to promote the development of a national network of electronic health records shared by doctors, hospitals, labs and retail pharmacies.
NYSTEC helps clients understand and implement the meaningful use criteria for EHR, which were developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
The New York State Department of Health will administer the program in New York. Along with the Recovery Act’s incentive funds for meaningful use, New York Medicaid will leverage the 90/10 Medicaid administrative funds and New York State Health Budget initiatives to create and implement a five-year patient-centered state Medicaid plan for Health Information Technology (HIT) and Health Information Exchange (HIE).
The criteria announced today are available at the Federal Register site.
Please contact for additional information.