Starting in May 2011, the federal government will begin paying bonuses to doctors, clinicians and hospitals that use electronic health records (EHRs). Until 2016, individual doctors and other providers may earn up to $44,000 from Medicare or $63,750 from Medicaid—and hospitals can earn millions—if they demonstrate they are making “meaningful use” of EHR systems. Experts estimate that the incentives could total $27 billion in federal funding.
When Congress created the EHR pool in 2009, lawmakers decreed that it was not enough for health care providers to merely acquire such systems, but that they also would have to make meaningful use of these systems—the definition of which Congress left up to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In July 2010, HHS released a final regulation defining what constitutes meaningful use.
This policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines HHS’ regulation to determine if it will accelerate or impede EHRs’ adoption and, more important, if EHRs will advance the transformation of health care delivery.
Two questions remain that only time will answer: Are the meaningful use requirements too stringent, too loose or just right for accomplishing their goals? Will EHRs truly transform the way health care is delivered in the United States?
Health Affairs/RWJF Health Policy Brief Series
- 1 Medicare Payments to Physicians
- 2 Premium Support in Medicare
- 3 Public Reporting on Quality and Costs
- 4 The Prevention and Public Health Fund
- 5 Small Business Insurance Exchanges
- 6 Next Steps for ACOs
- 7 Medicaid Reform
- 8 The Independent Payment Advisory Board
- 9 Legal Challenges to Health Reform
- 10 Community Development and Health
- 11 Achieving Equity in Health
- 12 Putting Limits on 'Medigap'
- 13 The CLASS Act
- 14 Improving Quality and Safety
- 15 'Unreasonable' Insurance Rate Increases
- 16 Employers and Health Care Reform
- 17 Congress and the Affordable Care Act
- 18 The 1099 Provision
- 19 Enrolling More Kids in Medicaid and CHIP
- 20 Small Business Tax Credits
- 21 Preventive Services Without Cost Sharing
- 22 Early Retiree Insurance
- 23 Medical Loss Ratios
- 24 'Grandfathered' Health Plans
- 25 Electronic Health Record Standards
- 26 Comparative Effectiveness Research
- 27 Patient-Centered Medical Homes
- 28 "Meaningful Use" of Electronic Health Records
- 29 Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan
- 30 Accountable Care Organizations
- 31 Extra Federal Medicaid Support Ends
- 32 Paying Physicians For Medicare Services
- 33 Health Reform's Changes in Medicare
- 34 Near-Term Changes in Health Insurance
- 35 Employer Mandate
- 36 Individual Mandate
- 37 Public Health Insurance Plan
- 38 Health Insurance Reforms
- 39 Individual Responsibility
- 40 Key Issues in Health Reform
- 41 Shared Responsibility
- 42 Coverage for Low-Income People
- 43 Tax Debate
- 44 A Public Health Insurance Plan
- 45 Competitive Bidding in Medicare Advantage
- 46 Medicare Advantage Plans
Health Affairs/RWJF Health Policy Briefs
Series provides clear, accessible overviews of timely and important health policy topics. The briefs are geared to policy-makers, congressional staffers, and others who need short, jargon-free explanations of health policy basics.
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