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EHR Incentive Program Attestation Begins

Attestation for the Medicare electronic health record (EHR) incentive program has now opened on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website for physicians who have completed 90 days of "meaningful use."

Attestation for Medicaid program participants is not required until the second year of program participation. If you are not ready to attest to meaningful use, you may still  register at CMS  to begin one of the available EHR incentive programs. Medicaid incentive program physicians must also register through the  Texas Medicaid website.  

  • Path to Payment – Highlighting the steps you need to take to receive your incentive payment;
  • Walkthrough of the Attestation Process – Guiding you through CMS' web-based attestation system;
  • Troubleshooting – Helping you successfully attest through the CMS system;
  • Helpful Resources – Reviewing CMS resources available on the EHR website; and 
  • Q&A – Answering your questions about the attestation process.

If you are not ready to attest, follow these steps to participate in the EHR incentive programs:

  • Make sure you're eligible for the EHR incentive programs. View eligibility guidelines on CMS' eligibility page and select the program in which you want to participate.
  • Use the services of the Texas regional extension centers (RECs). The RECs provide technical consulting services to help you select, implement, or upgrade an EHR system in your practice. Federal grants aimed at primary care physicians lower the cost of consulting services to $300 per physician. On April 18, in a letter to physicians [PDF], Texas Medicaid formally encouraged Medicaid physicians to engage RECs to receive assistance and technical support. 
  • Use certified EHR technology. To receive incentive payments, make sure the EHR technology you're using or are considering buying has been certified by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). Visit the Certified EHR Technology page for a list of certified products.  
  • Be a meaningful user. You have to successfully demonstrate "meaningful use" for a consecutive 90-day period in your first year of participation (and for a full year in each subsequent years) under Medicare and for a 90-day period in the second year of participation under Medicaid.
  • Attest for incentive payments. To get your EHR incentive payment, you must attest through Medicare's secure website that you've demonstrated meaningful use with certified EHR technology.

Still have a question? Contact the TMA Health Information Technology helpline at (800) 880-5720, or e-mailhit[at]texmed[dot]org.  

Action, May 2, 2011

Last Updated On

December 06, 2023

Originally Published On

April 29, 2011

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Incoming TMA President Ray Callas, MD's 26 years of experience as a member have prepared him to lead the association at a time when Texas physicians face economic challenges and when the state simultaneously faces a record influx of new physicians amid a workforce shortage. Both, he says, are opportunities that put organized medicine in a unique position to offer feasible solutions. TMA also debuts its newest leadership development program for physicians at every career stage, and the TMA Alliance’s outgoing and incoming presidents share their passion for building and bonding the Family of Medicine. Plus, learn how TMA’s Physician Payment Resources Center communicates with payers on behalf of physicians’ best interests. 

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