General Question for the Week of July 17, 2017

Question:

If an eligible provider fails to meet meaningful use (MU) during a participation year in the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program, can he or she continue to participate and earn incentives?

Answer:

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an eligible professional (EP), eligible hospital or critical access hospital (CAH) that participates in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and does not meet MU for one participation year is highly encouraged to continue to attest and earn incentive payments for future participation years. If a participating provider does not successfully attest for a given year, he/she will not be eligible to receive an incentive payment for that year. However, attesting and receiving an incentive payment for a future participation year is based on the provider’s ability to meet MU during that year and not based on success or failure in previous years.