Medicaid incentive payments have a $63,750 maximum over 6 years for any EP starting the program in 2016 or before with an initial 1st year payment of $21,250 just for getting a certified EHR. You can qualify for this Medicaid incentive payment without meeting meaningful use requirements in that first year under what is called AIU (adopt, implement or upgrade). Subsequent years, however, will require you to meet the same Meaningful Use objectives as the Medicare program. If you see both Medicare and Medicaid patients but choose to receive your first year EHR incentive payment under the Medicaid AIU program you may still be penalized on your Medicare reimbursements for not meeting Meaningful Use. Medicare meaningful use attestation is done by going to the CMS website and entering the appropriate information showing that you have met the threshold for the objectives required. Medicaid attestation for meaningful use or for AIU is done on your state’s Medicaid website.
How and When Do I Get Paid?
For Medicaid providers it will vary state by state but in Texas it takes about 3 months after attesting to meaningful use or attesting to the adoption, implementation or upgrade of a certified EHR to receive payment. The difference between earning your first year incentive with Medicare and earning your first year incentive with Medicaid is that with Medicaid, in the first year, you can apply for your incentive using ‘AIU’ instead of attesting to Meaningful Use and you can do this as soon as you adopt, implement or upgrade to a certified EHR system. Subsequent years will require you to meet the same Meaningful Use objectives as the Medicare program. Attesting to AIU or Meaningful Use will be done on your state’s Medicaid website.
Whether participating under Medicare or Medicaid you must first start by registering on the CMS website.
For more information go to http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/ehr-incentives-certification
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