First Providers Earn Meaningful Use Incentives – Meaningful Use Monday

CMS published a list (pdf) of the first providers who received incentive payments under the Medicare portion of the EHR program. What distinguishes these incentive recipients from those announced in early January—(See “Meaningful Use? Not Yet”)—is that these providers actually had to attest to earning these incentives by demonstrating meaningful use. The earlier recipients received their payments through the Medicaid program, which for the first year’s incentive only requires adoption, implementation, or upgrade of a certified EHR, not meaningful use.

There are 320 providers on this first Medicare list. Here’s how the list breaks down:

  • Approximately 40 are hospitals/health care centers.
  • As anticipated, the vast majority of the physicians are primary-care providers—over two-thirds if you include cardiologists.
  • Surgical specialists are significantly underrepresented—also as expected. (There are only 11 orthopaedists, for example.)
  • And for some reason, there are a relatively large number of podiatrists among these first meaningful users.

So, if you are in need of some tips on how to successfully meet the meaningful use requirements and/or navigate the attestation process, you might want to browse through the list (pdf) and see if you recognize any names.

Lynn Scheps is Vice President, Government Affairs at EHR vendor SRSsoft. In this role, Lynn has been a Voice of Physicians and SRSsoft users in Washington during the formulation of the meaningful use criteria. Lynn is currently working to assist SRSsoft users interested in showing meaningful use and receiving the EHR incentive money. Check out Lynn’s previous Meaningful Use Monday posts.

About the author

Lynn Scheps

Lynn Scheps is Vice President, Government Affairs at EHR vendor SRSsoft. In this role, Lynn has been a Voice of Physicians and SRSsoft users in Washington during the formulation of the meaningful use criteria. Lynn is currently working to assist SRSsoft users interested in showing meaningful use and receiving the EHR incentive money.

5 Comments

  • ” ■And for some reason, there are a relatively large number of podiatrists among these first meaningful users.”

    Wonder what MR indicies or quality measures involve feet?

    So our tax dollars have incentivized podiatrists to implement EMRs. Great! Just great!

  • I have been reading about meaningful use, HITECH, ARRA for medical facilities. What about long term care facilities. What kind of incentives are available to them? How can we get in on these incentives?

    Thank you.

  • Hi Terry,
    Unfortunately, from what I understand it doesn’t seem like there’s much for a long term care facility. The key term in the legislation is “eligible provider” and since LTC often shares one provider number, then it’s been assumed that LTC could get the stimulus for that one provider. Although, I haven’t heard of anyone trying.

  • I have looked for the web address that would provide and update of the EP’s that have attested and received MU $. Can you provide the web site where the list of EP’s is available?

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