General EHR Incentive Program Questions

Eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentives is based, in part, on using certified EHR technology. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has developed a process to certify EHR vendors and products. View the list of certified products.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website has a broad range of information available (e.g., federal eligibility requirements, meaningful use, payment process etc.)

Incentive payments made through the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program are subject to the mandatory reductions in federal spending known as sequestration, required by the Budget Control Act of 2011. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 postponed sequestration for 2 months. As required by law, a sequestration order was issued on March 1, 2013. Under these mandatory reductions, Medicare EHR incentive payments made to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals will be reduced by 2%. This 2% reduction will be applied to any Medicare EHR incentive payment for a reporting period that ends on or after April 1, 2013. If the final day of the reporting period occurs before April 1, 2013, those incentive payments will not be subject to the reduction.

This reduction does not apply to Medicaid EHR incentive payments, which are exempt from the mandatory reductions.

Dental practices should conduct or review a security risk analysis in accordance with the requirements under HIPAA Security Rule 45 CFR 164.308(a)(1), implement security updates as necessary and correct identified security deficiencies as part of its risk management process.

More on HIPAA Security implementation is available from HHS.

The ADA Complete HIPAA Compliance Kit (catalog #J598) contains detailed guidance on HIPAA implementation. Order a copy at www.adacatalog.org or by calling 800.947.4746.

Contact EHR

American Dental Association
Department of Dental Informatics
Phone: 312.440.2500
Email: EHR@ada.org
ADA business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. U.S. Central Time