Under Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, eligible professionals, hospitals and critical access hospitals that demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology will receive incentive payments from Medicare. The Medicare EHR Incentive Program begins April 18, 2011. Providers must attest to meaningful use through the CMS Web-based Medicare and Medicaid EHR Programs Registration and Attestation System to receive Medicare EHR incentive payments. Providers can preview snapshots of the system to see what the attestation process is expected to involve. These snapshots are examples of the system, and CMS may make changes to the final system.

After the initial year, payments may lag due to a need to report data for each year and to process payments. November 30, 2011 is the last day for eligible hospitals and critical access hospital to register and attest, in order to receive an incentive payment for fiscal year 2011, while February 29, 2012 is the last date for eligible professionals. For other important dates in the EHR Incentive Program please see CMS’s EHR Incentive Program Time Line.

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