CMS develops guidance for state Medicaid EHR incentives

CMS is preparing to send guidance to state Medicaid agencies to help them develop health IT plans that meet requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The stimulus law allows physicians to seek as much as $63,750 in federal EMR subsidies under Medicaid as an alternative to the parallel Medicare program that will pay each doctor up to $44,000 for adopting and using EMRs. States also can seek funding for development of a a path to "meaningful use" of EHRs under Medicaid.

The guidance will be in the form of letters and templates called the State Medicaid HIT Plan, the Planning Advance Planning Document and the Implementation Advance Planning Document, and is meant to simplify the planning process for state Medicaid directors. "This information is being requested in order that states can submit documentation to CMS for review and approval in order that states can implement the Medicaid program and draw down federal financial participation," the federal agency says in a Nov. 30 notice in the Federal Register.

To learn more:
- have a look at this Government Health IT story
- read this Health Data Management piece

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