NC Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Program

The NC Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program was created by the federal government as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  The goal of the program is to encourage eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals (EHs), and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to adopt, implement, or upgrade to a certified EHR technology, and then to demonstrate meaningful use (MU) of that technology.

EPs may receive up to $63,750 in incentive payments over the six years that they choose to participate in the program.  The first year's incentive payment is $21,250, and additional payments of $8,500 each are available for up to five years.

EH incentive payments are based on a number of factors, including annual growth rates and projected discharges.  The EH incentive payment is calculated by starting with a base payment, then using a precise formula to adjust up or down depending on specific hospital activity.  The payment is then divided into three annual installments.  The first installment is 50 percent, the second is 40 percent, and the third is 10 percent.

New to the program? Click here for a simple program overview!

Program Timeline

The NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program extends 11 years, from 2011-2022. EPs may participate in any 6 of 10 program years. Participation years are synonymous with payment years. Participation years do not have to be consecutive.

• Payment Year One – an EP will typically Adopt, Implement or Upgrade a certified EHR technology. Please note, a provider may choose to attest to Meaningful Use in their first participation year.
• Payment Year Two – Meaningful Use.  Providers attest to a 90-day period in the current calendar year.
• Payment Year Three and beyond – EPs will attest to Meaningful Use for the entire year.

  *In an effort to allow providers time to adjust to system upgrades compliant with 2014 certification standards, attestations for program year 2014 allow a 90-day reporting period for ALL EPs regardless of participation year.

We are currently in Stage 1 of Meaningful Use. The earliest that the Stage 2 criteria will be effective is in fiscal year 2014 for eligible hospitals and CAHs or calendar year 2014 for EPs. Please see the Meaningful Use tab below for more information.

 

Eligibility Requirements for Professionals

• Incentive payments for EPs are tied to individual practitioners.
• If you are part of a practice, each EP may qualify for an incentive payment if each EP successfully adopts, implements, or upgrades to a certified EHR technology in Payment Year 1 and later demonstrates meaningful use of that technology.
• Each EP is eligible for only one incentive payment per payment year, regardless of how many practices or locations at which he or she provide services.
• Hospital-based professionals who can demonstrate they funded the acquisition, implementation and/or maintenance of a certified EHR technology without reimbursement from the hospital and uses the certified EHR technology in an inpatient/hospital setting, may be eligible to receive an incentive payment.

Who is an EP under the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program?
EPs under the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program include:

• Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy);
• Nurse practitioners;
• Certified nurse midwives;
• Dentists; and,
• Physician assistants who furnish services in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant.

To qualify for an incentive payment under the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, an EP must meet one of the following criteria:

• Have a minimum 30% Medicaid patient volume*
• Have a minimum 20% Medicaid patient volume, and is a pediatrician*
• Practice predominantly in a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Center and have a minimum 30% patient volume attributable to needy individuals

* Health Choice patients do not count toward the Medicaid patient volume criteria. As of October 1, 2012 NC Medicaid no longer excludes Medicaid Children's Health Insurance Program (MCHIP) encounters from counting toward the Medicaid patient volume criteria.

NOTE: EPs must choose to participate in either the Medicare or the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.  EPs may not receive incentive payments from both programs. 

 

Update on Physician Assistant Eligibility
Physician Assistants (PAs) are only eligible for the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program if they furnish services at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC) that is led by a PA, so long as the PA meets all other Program eligibility requirements (30% Medicaid/needy individual PV, not hospital-based, etc.).

 

The Final Rule states, a PA would be leading an FQHC or RHC under any of the following circumstances:
(1) The PA is the primary provider in a clinic (for example, when there is a part-time physician and full-time PA, we would consider the PA as the primary provider);
(2) The PA is a clinical or medical director at a clinical site of practice; or
(3) The PA is an owner of an RHC.

For eligibility, PA-led facilities should submit documentation on group letterhead speaking to one of the three requirements mentioned above.

 

Eligibility Requirements for Hospitals
What is an EH under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program?

• Acute care hospitals (including CAHs and cancer hospitals) with at least 10% Medicaid patient volume
• Children's hospitals (no Medicaid patient volume requirements)

Eligible for Both Medicaid and Medicare EHR Incentive Programs?
Some hospitals may receive incentive payments from both Medicare and Medicaid if they meet all eligibility criteria.  Hospitals that are eligible for EHR incentive payments under both Medicare and Medicaid should select "Both Medicare and Medicaid" during the initial CMS registration process, even if they plan to apply only for a Medicaid EHR incentive payment by adopting, implementing, or upgrading certified EHR technology. Dually eligible hospitals can then attest through CMS for their Medicare EHR incentive payment at a later date, if they so desire. It is important for a dually eligible hospital to select "Both Medicare and Medicaid" from the start of program registration in order to maintain this option.

 

Hospitals that register only for the Medicaid program (or only the Medicare program) will not be able to manually change their registration (i.e., change to "Both Medicare and Medicaid" or from one program to the other) after a payment is initiated; this may cause significant delays in receiving a Medicare EHR incentive payment.

 

Additional guidance on this issue is available from CMS.

 

If you are having difficulty calculating exactly 90 days for your patient volume reporting period, click here for a helpful tool! Please note, enter 89 days (as seen below) to get the 90th day. This will give you your PV reporting period dates.

If a provider is having any difficulty understanding the caveats of Patient Volume, please click here for the Understanding Patient Volume podcast. The podcast serves as a deep dive into patient volume requirements, reporting periods, etc.

Additional patient volume information can be found by clicking here for a revised Patient Volume Memorandum issued by the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program on May 1, 2013.

Changes to Stage 1 Patient Volume per CMS' Stage 2 Final Rule

Per the CMS Stage 2 Final Rule released to the Federal Register on September 4th, the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program has released important documentation regarding Stage 1 patient volume requirement changes for eligible professionals and hospitals.

To view the EP Stage1 Changes per CMS' Stage 2 Final Rule, please click here.

To view the EH Stage 1 Changes per CMS' Stage 2 Final Rule, please click here.

Definition of a Group
For the purposes of attesting to PV with group methodology the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program has adjusted its definition of a group. A group means one or more eligible professionals practicing together at one practice location or at multiple practice locations within a logical geographical region under the same healthcare organization.

This definition was written to be as flexible as possible within the federal regulation, while still lending enough definition for auditing and program integrity purposes.

Group and Individual Methodology for Calculating Patient Volume for EPs

Calculating Medicaid patient volume is essential for determining if a provider is eligible to participate in the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. We have recently created several visual aids to ensure EPs have the information needed to calculate their Medicaid patient volume correctly and accurately.

Click on one of the scenarios below to see visual guidance for calculating patient volume given the methodology used.

• Group methodology at a single practice location
• Group methodology at several practice locations in the same town, city, region or part of the state
• Group methodology at a statewide organization
• Individual methodology at a single practice location
• Individual methodology at more than one practice location

NOTE: CMS' Stage 2 Final Rule will impact the way EPs calculate patient volume. EPs, for more guidance on these changes, please click here. EHs, for more guidance on these changes, please click here.

Helpful Information for Calculating Patient Volume
Practicing Predominantly, New Providers, and Group Methodology
An EP who has more than 50 percent of his/her total patient encounters at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC) during any continuous six-month period in the previous calendar year OR the 12 months immediately preceeding the attestation qualifies as “practicing predominately” at an FQHC or RHC. An EP who attests to practicing predominately in a FQHC or RHC may count needy individuals toward the 30% patient volume requirement necessary to receive an EHR incentive payment. 

Needy individuals include:  1) Individuals receiving assistance from Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Health Choice); 2) Individuals provided uncompensated care by the EP; and 3) Individuals who received services at no cost or reduced cost based on a sliding scale determined by the individual’s ability to pay.

NC Medicaid recognizes that this issue has implications for newer FQHC and RHC staff who cannot attest to practicing predominantly during the previous year and who wish to use group methodology for calculating Medicaid patient volume. The following examples attempt to clarify these implications for eligibility of such providers to receive EHR incentives.

Example 1 –
A new provider is hired into an FQHC that attested using group methodology to calculate patient volume and met the 30% Medicaid patient volume requirement without using needy individual patient encounters. The new provider did not practice at an FQHC or RHC for six continuous months during the previous year or the 12 months immediately preceding the date of attestation, and would answer “No” to the practices predominantly question. This provider expects to see Medicaid patients in keeping with the FQHC’s reported patient volumes from the previous year, and due to his/her current affiliation with the FQHC, s/he may attest using the group’s pre-calculated patient volume (group methodology) from the previous year.

Example 2—
A new provider is hired into an FQHC that attested using group methodology to calculate patient volume and was able to meet the 30% Medicaid patient volume requirement by using needy individual patient encounters. The new provider did not practice at an FQHC or RHC for six continuous months during the previous year or the 12 months immediately preceding the date of attestation, and would answer “No” to the practices predominantly question. Although this provider expects to see Medicaid patients in keeping with the FQHC’s reported patient volumes from the previous year and has a current affiliation with the FQHC, s/he may not attest using the group’s pre-calculated patient volume (group methodology) from the previous year, as the practicing predominantly requirement must be satisfied in order to use needy individuals toward the Medicaid patient volume requirement.

Example 3—
A new provider is hired into an FQHC that attested using group methodology, either with or without the use of needy individual patient encounters. The new provider came to the new practice from another FQHC or RHC and can answer “Yes” to the practices predominantly question. In this scenario, the provider expects to see Medicaid patients in keeping with the new FQHC’s reported patient volumes from the previous year or the 12 months immediately preceding the date of attestation, and due to his/her current affiliation with the FQHC and his/her ability to satisfy the practicing predominantly requirement, s/he may attest using the group’s pre-calculated patient volume (group methodology) from the previous year.

Note: In all of the above examples, a provider who practiced elsewhere during the previous year and saw the requisite 30% Medicaid patients may be eligible to attest using individual methodology for calculating patient volume. In this case, the provider would calculate his/her individual patient encounters from the previous practice site(s), as long as the previous practice group did not attest using group methodology for the same 90-day period.
*Please note that patient volume methodology and assignment of payment are not related. A provider may attest having used group methodology to calculate patient volume, and assign the incentive payment to him/herself or to another practice with whom s/he is affiliated that promotes the meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

“Incident to” Billing and the EHR Incentive Program
“Incident to” billing is a long-standing billing practice in North Carolina Medicaid. While there are implications for the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program around validating Medicaid patient volume, there is no requirement to have a billed claim tied to your personal MPN/NPI to be eligible for the Program. To be clear, providers who bill “Incident to” a physician, and thus have no or few claims billed under their names, are still eligible to receive incentive payments if they meet all other Program requirements.

Providers who have billed “Incident to” in the year prior to attestation should work with EHR Incentive Program staff to identify all MPNs under which their encounters were billed with NC Medicaid, and provide documentation to this effect. This will ultimately avoid delays in validation and payment.

 

The process to receive a first-time incentive payment (Payment Year 1) includes the following steps below. Want to see a visual of the Path to Payment? Click here!

Note: NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments are linked to professionals and may be assigned on a voluntary basis to an affiliated organization promoting the adoption and meaningful use of certified EHR technology.  It is against federal and program rules for an organization to require that affiliated EPs assign an incentive payment to a practice or organization.

1. Eligibility. Determine eligibility for the program using the eligibility wizard.
2. CMS Registration. Register with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
3. A/I/U. Adopt, implement, or upgrade to a certified EHR system. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) maintains a comprehensive listing of all certified technologies. New vendors and products are certified and added to the list as they become available. 
4. Confirmation. NC Medicaid will verify information provided from CMS and send a welcome email to providers with an invitation to begin the attestation.
5. Attestation. Once a provider receives a welcome email inviting them to begin the attestation process with the NC Medicaid Incentive Payment System (NC-MIPS), the provider can log onto the NC-MIPS portal, and complete the attestation process.
6. EP Attestation. EPs attest to information about their practice, patient encounters and certified EHR system. The EP Attestation Guide is available at the NC MIPS portal to assist in the process.  Additional assistance is available from the NC-MIPS Help Desk at 919-814-0180.  Do not forget to print and sign a copy; then mail, fax or email it to the NC-MIPS Center at one of the following:

   Email:  NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov (preferred method of submission)

   Mail:  NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, 2501 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC  27699-2501

*Effective June 1, 2013, the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will not accept documentation via fax.

NOTE: North Carolina has extended the attestation tail period to 120 days to allow for attestation beyond the end of the payment year. This means EPs will have until April 30, 2014 to attest for Program Year 2013. 

Note that EPs wishing to attest to Meaningful Use must select a continuous 90-day reporting period within the Calendar Year of the attested payment year, even if they plan to attest during the attestation tail period.  Click here for Reporting Periods Defined.

7. EH Attestation. EHs attest to information about their patient volume, cost report data and certified EHR system.  EH Attestation Guide is available at the NC MIPS portal to assist in the process.  Additional assistance is available from the NC-MIPS Help Deskat 919-814-0180. Do not forget to print and sign a copy; then mail, fax or email it to the NC-MIPS Help Desk at one of the following:

   Email:  NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov (preferred method of submission)

   Mail:  NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, 2501 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC  27699-2501

*Effective June 1, 2013, the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will not accept documentation via fax.

For more information on how to calculate an EH payment, please click here.

To see the EH attestation reporting schedule, please click here.

NOTE: North Carolina has extended the attestation tail period to 120 days to allow for attestation beyond the end of the payment year. This means EHs will have until January 28, 2014 to attest for Program Year 2013. Click here for Reporting Periods Defined.

Note that EHs wishing to attest to Meaningful Use must select a continuous 90-day reporting period within the Fiscal Year of the attested payment year, even if they plan to attest during the attestation tail period.  

8. Verification. Once attestations are completed, they are verified by NC Medicaid. If any problems are found, providers are notified with instructions on how to address any issue. The verification process consists of multiple internal checks at NC Medicaid and can take as long as 4-10 weeks.  This estimate is based on a fully implemented and operational system.  There may be delays as NC Medicaid continues to operationalize the system.  Do not make financial commitments based upon this timeline.  It may take longer than expected to receive incentive payments.
9. Notification. Providers will be notified once the verification process has been completed along with when to expect an incentive payment.  Payments are made according to the established Medicaid payment schedule.
10. Future Payments. EPs are eligible for 5 additional incentive payments based upon the meaningful use of their certified EHR technology (as defined by CMS). Meaningful use attestation begins in payment year two and will be based upon a 90-day reporting period.  Additional years of meaningful use will have a reporting period of 365 days.  The incentive program runs through 2021 and payment years do not have to be consecutive.  Additional information about Meaningful Use and the measures associated with it can be found on the CMS website.  

All program questions should be directed to NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov or 919-814-0180.

Providers must first register with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to begin the process to receive an EHR incentive payment. Once you register with CMS, you will receive a welcome letter to come and attest with NC.

Registration and attestation with the state of NC is done through the NC Medicaid Incentive Payment System (NC-MIPS).

If you have any questions about your attestation or are experiencing problems in NC-MIPS, please contact the NC-MIPS Help Desk for assistance.

By Email: NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov

By Phone: 919-814-0180

EH Attestation Guide
EP AIU Attestation Guide
EP MU Attestation Guide

 

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 specifies three main components of meaningful use:

1. The use of a certified EHR in a meaningful manner, such as e-prescribing.
2. The use of certified EHR technology for electronic exchange of health information to improve quality of health care.
3. The use of certified EHR technology to submit clinical quality and other measures.

Simply put, "meaningful use" means providers need to show they're using certified EHR technology in ways that can be measured significantly in quality and in quantity.

CMS EHR Meaningful Use Criteria Summary
The criteria for meaningful use will be staged in three steps over the course of the next five years.

• Stage 1 (beginning in 2012) sets the baseline for electronic data capture and information sharing.
• Stage 2 (going into effect in 2014) and Stage 3 (expected to be implemented in 2015) will continue to expand on this baseline and will be developed through future rule making.

What are the Requirements for Stage 1 of Meaningful Use (Beginning in 2012)?
Meaningful use includes both a core set and a menu set of objectives that are specific to EPs or EHs and CAHs.

• For EPs, there are a total of 25 meaningful use objectives.  To qualify for an incentive payment, 20 of these 25 objectives must be met.
• There are 13 required core objectives. (Two core measures have been removed as a result of the Stage 2 Final Rule.)
• The remaining five objectives may be chosen from the list of 10 menu set objectives.
• For EHs and CAHs, there are a total of 24 meaningful use objectives. To qualify for an incentive payment, 19 of these 24 objectives must be met.
• There are 14 required core objectives.
• The remaining five objectives may be chosen from the list of 10 menu set objectives.

These Stage 1 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for: EP and Hospitals/Critical Access Hospitals were designed to help EPs and EHs/CAHs understand the specific requirements of each objective.

Meaningful Use 1-Page Overview

To see a summary of the meaningful use measures (core, menu & CQMs), please click here.

Attestation Worksheet for EPs in Stage 1

EPs can use the worksheet to log their meaningful use measures to use as a reference when attesting for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program with CMS. EPs can find the worksheet here.

Note: This was created by CMS specifically for attesting with the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, but this document is also helpful when attesting with the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

CMS Releases Meaningful Use Stage 2 Final Rule

Rule Provisions
Through the Stage 2 requirements of the EHR Incentive Programs, CMS will expand meaningful use of certified EHR technology. The rule made consolidated several existing Stage 1 objectives and added new objectives for Stage 2. There will be 20 measures for EPs (17 core and 3 of 6 menu) and 19 measures for eligible hospitals (16 core and 3 of 6 menu) in Stage 2.

Stage 2 Timing
In the Stage 1 meaningful use regulations, CMS established an original timeline that would have required Medicare providers who first demonstrated meaningful use in 2011 to meet the Stage 2 criteria in 2013. The Stage 2 rule delays the onset of Stage 2 criteria. Any provider that attests to Stage 1 of meaningful use in 2011 or 2012 will attest to Stage 2 in 2014 instead of 2013. Therefore providers will not be required to demonstrate Stage 2 of meaningful use before 2014. For more information about the final rule see the CMS Stage 2 Final Rule Fact Sheet.

To see a summary of the Stage 1 Changes per CMS' Stage 2 Final Rule, please click here.

To view the Stage 2 Final Rule as it is posted in the Federal Registry, please click here.

Helpful Stage 2 Final Rule Tools from CMS

On August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The rule provides new criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs.

CMS recently updated the EHR Incentive Programs website with a new Stage 2 section, which provides helpful information on the Stage 2 final rule and how it affects the EHR Incentive Programs. The Stage 2 page includes an overview of the final rule and links to Stage 2 resources:

• Stage 2 Overview Tipsheet – Provides an overview of the rule, including important dates, basic requirements, new audiences, and additional Stage 2 resources
• Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 Comparison Tables – Compares basic requirements of Stage 1 versus Stage 2 for both EPs and EHs
• Stage 1 Changes Tipsheet – Outlines major changes to Stage 1 included in the rule
• 2014 Clinical Quality Measures Tipsheet – An overview of the 2014 CQM requirements that will apply to all providers, regardless of their stage of meaningful use

Recorded webinars & presentations are available for additional Stage 2 Final Rule information online at www.nationalehealth.org/FinalRules.

For those looking to ask additional questions on the Standards and Certification Criteria for the Stage 2 Final Rule, Steve Posnack, Director of the Federal Policy Division at ONC, will be holding S&CC Office Hours throughout the month of September. Steve will be available to take attendee questions, give factual feedback, and explain the new concepts in the final rule.  You can view the dates and register for these programs on our website here: www.nationalehealth.org/OfficeHours.

CMS will continue to provide resources for providers on Stage 2 rule and the EHR Incentive Programs. Visit the Stage 2 page to view upcoming webinars and sessions discussing Stage 2 and the different changes occurring, or check back with the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program website for more information.

To see the complete Stage 1 vs Stage 2 comparison tables from CMS for EPs, please click here.

To see the complete Stage 1 vs Stage 2 comparison tables from CMS for EHs, please click here.

Meaningful Use Specialists Tipsheet

CMS recognizes that not every meaningful use measure applies to every provider participating in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. To help specialty providers successfully meet meaningful use measure requirements and navigate the EHR Incentive Programs, CMS created the Meaningful Use for Specialists Tipsheet.  

Tipsheet topics include:

• Reporting measure exclusions;
• Using other providers' data;
• Determining office visits for applicable measures; and
• Applying for a hardship exemption.

The tipsheet also includes links to resources that can help specialists successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs. For helpful materials you can also visit the Educational Resources page on the EHR Incentive Programs website.

What are Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs)?
To demonstrate meaningful use successfully, EPs, EHs and CAHs are also required to report clinical quality measures specific to EPs or EHs and CAHs.

• A list of 38 CQMs are posted on CMS’ website.
• EPs must report on 6 total clinical quality measures
  • 3 required core measures (substituting alternate core measures where necessary) and any 3 additional measures from the list.
• EHs and CAHs must report on 15 core clinical quality measures.

See Clinical Quality Measures to learn more about clinical quality measures for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and CAHs.

*Note: Requirements for reporting CQMs in 2012 and 2013 are unchanged from past years.  The Stage 2 final rule changes for CQMs do not begin until 2014.

CMS Posts 2014 Clinical Quality Measures, Electronic Specifications and Resources on Website

Beginning in 2014, the reporting of clinical quality measures (CQMs) will change for all providers. Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology that has been certified to the 2014 standards and capabilities will contain new CQM criteria, and eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) will report using the new 2014 criteria regardless of whether they are participating in Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

The final 2014 CQMs for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals are now available, as well as the specifications for electronic reporting and access to the related value sets. These files can be accessed from the 2014 CMS Clinical Quality Measures webpage.

Reporting Electronically in 2014
Beginning in 2014, all Medicare EPs and eligible hospitals beyond their first year of demonstrating meaningful use must electronically report their CQM data to CMS. Medicaid EPs and eligible hospitals that are eligible only for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program will report their CQM data to their state.

e-Specifications
The value sets of the electronic specifications code the CQMs in your EHR, allowing you to export the measure results and report them in attestation. EPs and eligible hospitals can view the value sets on the National Library of Medicine Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) webpage.

Resources for 2014 CQMs
To help providers navigate the new CQMs, CMS has developed and posted new resources, including:

• Implementation Guide to the 2014 CQMs
• Release Notes for EPs and Eligible Hospitals
• CQM tipsheet.

 

• NC-MIPS Attestation Portal
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
• NC Office of Health Information Technology
• Stage 1 Final Rule
• Stage 2 Final Rule
• Interim Final Rule with Comments (Revisions to the 2014 Edition Electronic Health Record Certification Criteria)
• NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Special Bulletin (Revised May 1, 2013)
• Medicaid Bulletin

 

See the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Frequently Asked Questions Page. Providers are also encouraged to submit questions to NCMedicaid.Hit@dhhs.nc.gov. Responses will be used to update this FAQ section.

More FAQs are also available on the CMS website.

Updated CMS FAQ System

The updated FAQ system allows users to share direct links to specific questions and answers in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section.

Locating FAQs
There are a few different ways to find the FAQ you need. To browse by topic, click “ Electronic Health Records Incentive Programs” on the FAQ page’s blue navigation panel. If you would prefer to search by keyword, enter terms into the Search box in the upper left hand corner.

The Search box also allows users to perform searches by FAQ number. FAQs are still searchable by using its old FAQ number, which is listed after the word “Keywords” below the answer of the FAQ, or by using its new FAQ number, which can be found at the very bottom of the FAQ in parentheses.

When searching by new FAQ number, be sure to select the “FAQ #” option by clicking the circle and highlighting it in blue. Please note that you cannot search by old FAQ number in the “FAQ # Search” box. Instead, search by old FAQ numbers in the “Text Search” box.

Sharing FAQs
Once you have located your desired FAQ, a unique link to the web page will be displayed in the address bar. Using this link, you can go directly to the FAQ. For example, if you want to share the FAQ on “How and when will incentive payments for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs be made?”, you can use the hyperlink to share and direct yourself to the FAQ again in the future.

 

NC DHHS Champions NC HIE

NC DHHS has recently released their position statement for the championing of the NC HIE. To read A Resolution Establishing The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services' Intentions for the Integration of Health Information Technology and Statewide Health Information Exchange into DHHS' Business Processes, please click here.

CMS' New Interactive Resource to Determine Timeline for Participation in the EHR Incentive Programs
CMS recently posted a new web resource for eligible professionals (EPs), My EHR Participation Timeline, to the EHR Incentive Programs website. This interactive tool allows EPs to determine what year you will meet Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 of meaningful use in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. It also provides information on:

• The length of time EPs are required to demonstrate meaningful use at each stage;
• The maximum incentive payment you can receive each year;
• The total incentive payment amount you will receive based on your initial year of participation; and,
• Links to helpful resources from the CMS website.

*Note - Pediatricians may qualify for the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program at a reduced 20% Medicaid Patient Volume threshold.

After choosing between the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, select your first year of participation and the tool will create a personalized timeline with your results. This timeline can be printed and used as a reference for successful EHR Incentive Programs participation. 

For more CMS resources, visit the Educational Resources section of the EHR website.

Current Program Documents

• SMHP (PDF, 3,545 KB)
• IAPD (PDF, 405 KB)

Meaningful Use

• Meaningful Use Objectives/Measures Overview(PDF, 156 KB)
• Meaningful Use FAQs (346 KB)
• Core and Menu Measures for Eligible Professionals with FAQs (PDF, 800KB) 
• Core and Menu Measures for Hospitals with FAQs (PDF, 881KB)
• EHR Incentive Program MU Stage1 Requirements Summary (PDF, 398KB) 
• EHR Incentive Program MU Stage1 Requirements Overview (PDF, 380KB) 
• Clinical Quality Measures 101 (PDF, 970KB) 
• Guide to Clinical Quality Measures (PDF, 191KB)
• Clinical Quality Measures- Webinar (PDF, 100KB)
• CMS' Meaningful Use Jeopardy
• Meaningful Yoose Rap Video by the American College of Informatimusicology

Reporting Periods Defined

Guidance for Patient Volume, Meaningful Use & Practicing Predominantly reporting periods can be found here.

Eligible Hospitals CQMs

The updated 2014 clinical quality measures (CQMs) for eligible hospitals are now available, as well as corresponding specifications for electronic reporting and access to the related data elements and value sets.

Stage 2 Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for EHs and EPs

• ALL Stage 2 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Professionals (ZIP, 3850 KB)
• ALL Stage 2 EHR Meaningful Use Specification Sheets for Eligible Hospitals (ZIP, 3025 KB)

Presentations

• Updates for Eligible Hospitals for the CIO Roundtable, October 2012 (PDF, 204 KB)
• NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Overview, January 2013 (PDF, 939 KB)
• Meaningful Use:  Roadmap for Successful Attestations, NCCHCA Presentation, June 2012 (823 KB)
• Navigating the Updated Attestation Portal (NCMS/NCMGM Webinar) , June 2012 (839 KB)

Behavioral Health Template

Click here for the Behavioral Health Template

Meaningful Use Guidance for Oral Health Professionals

HRSA has recently released some helpful guidance for those oral health professionals who are participating in the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program. Click here to learn the best practices when attesting for meaningful use as an oral health professional!

Local Health Departments

• Local Health Department Attestation Template November 2012 (PDF, 17 KB)
  • For the Word version of this template, please email us.
• Local Health Department Methodology Memo December 2011 (PDF, 41KB)

Additional Links to Great Resources for Providers

• HRSA - Health IT Toolkit
• AHEC Digital Library

Providers should use the phone number, email, and mailing addresses listed below for all correspondence with the N.C. Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, including program and attestation inquiries, sending in signed attestations and supporting documentation.

Email: NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov
Phone Number: 919-814-0180
Mailing Address: NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, 2501 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699

*Email is the preferred method of submission.
Note: Effective June 1, 2013, the N.C. Medicaid EHR Incentive Program no longer accepts documentation via fax.

For technical assistance in the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program contact one of the following:

The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence
www.CCMEConsulting.org
919-461-5699
CCMEconsulting@thecarolinascenter.org

NC Area Health Education Centers (AHECs)/Regional Extension Centers (REC)
http://www.ncahec.net
919-966-2461
mailto:ncahec@med.unc.edu

NC Medical Society
http://www.ncmedsoc.org
919.833.3836

 

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Click here to see a list of all the providers that have received an NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment (as of May 15, 2013). *Zoom in if you are having difficulty reading the document.