EHR Incentive Program Participation Reaches 2012 Goal

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin June 22, 2012

100,000 adopt, implement or demonstrate Meaningful Use

Just the Facts from Joe Friday

The numbers and facts you are about to see are all true… As of the end of May.

The following have been reported by CMS on status of the EHR Incentive Program and ONC HITECH initiatives.

  • The CMS and ONC have already met their 2012 goal of 100,000 health care providers to adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs by the end of the year.
  • More than 110,000 eligible professionals and more than 2,400 eligible hospitals have been paid by the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
  • Approximately 48 percent of all eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals in the U.S. have received an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, upgrading, or demonstrating meaningful use of an EHR.
  • One out of every five Medicare and Medicaid eligible professionals in the U.S. has received an incentive payment for adopting, implementing, upgrading, or demonstrating meaningful use of an EHR.
  • Over $5.7 billion in EHR Incentive Program payments have been made as of the end of May 2012.
  • More than $3 billion in Medicare EHR Incentive Program payments were made between May 2011 (when the first payments were released) and the end of May 2012.
  • More than $2.6 billion in Medicaid EHR Incentive Program payments were made between January 2011 (when the first states launched their programs) and the end of May 2012.
  • Over 133,000 primary care providers and 10,000 specialists are partnering with RECs to overcome common EHR adoption barriers.
  • Of these providers, 70% of small practice providers in rural areas as well as 74% of critical access hospitals are working
  • Over 12,000 providers working with RECS have already received incentive payments.
  • Since the launch or the Workforce Development Program in September 2010, the Community College Consortia Program has trained more than 13,000 professionals nationwide.
    • The majority of students are mid-career healthcare or IT professionals with prior experience in fields outside health IT.
    • Student demographics included significant minority and rural representation.
  • By leveraging distance learning platforms, the program has trained students in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Have a good weekend.