Origin EMR Users May Qualify for Stimulus Payment
posted 2/5/10

Surely by now you have heard the terms, "HITECH Act", "ARRA", and "Meaningful Use". Just in case you don’t feel like reading and understanding all 700 pages outlining what this means to you, here is what these terms mean to an Origin Healthcare Solutions customer.

Do I qualify for stimulus money if I am using the Origin EMR (EMRge)?
Short answer - most likely. The HITECH act is reimbursing "Eligible Professionals" up to $44,000 (more if you are in a health provider shortage area) through extra Medicare payments made in yearly installments. Eligible professionals are defined as "a doctor of medicine or osteopathy legally authorized to practice medicine or surgery". This includes physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, and chiropractors.

How much can I expect to receive?
This depends on three things: first it depends on how much business you do with Medicare - the stimulus money is a direct extension of Medicare. The more payments you receive from Medicare, the higher your reimbursement will be.

The second thing it depends on is that you can provide proof that you are a "meaningful user" of a "certified EMR". The meaningful use requirements become more stringent every year the program is offered. Displaying meaningful use is the responsibility of the physician; it mostly includes providing patient access to records, electronically transferring information to payers and other providers, and computerized physician order entry (electronic labs and prescriptions).

The last thing it depends on is when you become a "meaningful user". The HITECH plan is designed to reward early adopters, so the only way to get the maximum amount offered is to be able to prove meaningful use within the first two years of the program. Proving meaningful use is not something you will be able to do the week after you implement a certified EMR - it will require a significant amount (6 months in most cases) of data to be able to complete the reports required.

Does Origin’s software meet the guidelines of “Meaningful Use”?
Eligible Professionals (sometimes abbreviated to EP’s) must display meaningful use of a “Certified EMR/EHR” to qualify for stimulus money. The guidelines a “Certified EMR” were published at the same time as the guidelines for physicians. Software companies must go through a testing process in order to be labeled “certified”. The testing bodies for this certification have not yet been appointed or announced (although it is believed that CCHIT will be one of these certifying bodies). After reading the initial guidelines published in the Interim Final Rule, however, we are happy to say that Origin’s EMRge software already meets 95% of the published guidelines. After minor software adjustments (provided free of charge to our EMRge clients), Origin will be one of the first companies to test and become a “Certified EMR”.

Hopefully this answers most of your questions about this confusing subject. If you have more questions, please send them to info@originhs.com and we would be happy to talk.