In order to receive a reimbursement you must follow these steps:
1.
You must have a National Provider Identifier (NPI). This is your unique identifier that allows you to participate in Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement programs. In order to get this you will need to go to the
NPPES site and create an account. You will also need to enroll in PECOS (Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System). For help in doing this read
this document from the Centers for Medicar and Medicaid Services (CMS).
2.
Next you need to register for the EHS stimulus program at the
EHR Incentive web site. You can do this immediately – you do not have to wait until you have purchased or begun using a system. You need to be registered by no later than February 29, 2012 in order to be able to receive payouts for 2011.
3.
The most important step is to purchase and begin using an EHR. In order to be eligible for the payment you will need to demonstrate "meaningful use." There is a specific
set of criteria that you need to meet for that.
4.
Finally, you will need to
attest to "meaningful use" for each year that you apply for the stimulus reimbursement. You do this at the CMS Web site. In 2011, you are only required to attest to 90 days of meaningful use, and after that you will need to show meaningful use for the entire year.
Reimbursement payments will be distributed in a lump sum for each qualifying year. Each provider is eligible for a reimbursement of 75% of their approved Medicare submissions up to $24,000. Reimbursements are provider-specific. So if there are two approved providers in the same office, there is an opportunity for two incentives.
Adopting a certified EHR such as MyChartsOnline now has strong financial benefits, so it simply makes sense to begin your process of identifying the EHR that is right for your needs now. This is an important decision that will affect your daily work in a very significant way, so you don’t want to wait until the mandated EHR deadline is near.
In order to be eligible for the FULL payout of $44,000, you must submit over $25,000 per incentive year in Medicare Part B claims under a certain set of chiropractic treatments. These treatments are narrowed to include only the treatment of spinal subluxations, submitted using the AT (Active Treatment) modifier to ensure that they fall under the umbrella of medical necessity.
Medicare Incentive Guidelines:
- Pays 75% of Part B claims submitted for codes 98940, 98941, and 98942, using the AT modifier.
- Potential incentive is $44,000 paid out over five (5) years beginning in 2011
- Maximum payout requires qualification before 2013
- Penalties begin in 2015 for those that do not implement an EHR system