In 2009, the federal government passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) – also known as “the stimulus plan.” One part of the ARRA called the “HITECH ACT” created incentives for medical practitioners to begin using Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Record (EMR) technology as a way to bring greater efficiency and cost-reductions to healthcare. For those who adopt EHR technology, and can demonstrate meaningful use, up to $44,000 is available in reimbursements.

The good news is that this incentive is available to chiropractors. However, you must meet certain requirements. And, the earlier you make the switch to a certified EHR system, the greater the benefit can be.

The calendar year of the submissions will determine the level of reimbursement – and 2011 is the year with the highest level of reimbursement. You need only 90 days of meaningful use in 2011 to qualify. The reimbursement levels go down progressively from there, and starting in 2016, there are penalties for providers who have not adopted EHR. By waiting until 2013 you will experience an 11% drop in your reimbursement and by 2014 the loss is 20%. If you wait until 2015 you will have missed this incentive entirely.



Each practitioner who qualifies for Medicare reimbursement can participate, so if you have multiple qualifying providers in your practice, you can multiply your reimbursement amounts.