In an effort to help providers navigate new health information technology requirements and qualify for meaningful-use payments, CMS has launched a website detailing information about its electronic health record system incentive programs, which are scheduled to launch in 2011. The site summarizes a lot of the information we have been gathering during the last six months, but the most important new information that we found is that providers have to register in the PECOS system.
Our guess is that the majority of doctor's out there are not registered. The site includes clarification of terms such as “eligible professional” and “certification,” both of which appear in provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, commonly known as HITECH, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In addition, users can download fact sheets on proposed program requirements and the proposed definition of meaningful use.The site will include more specific information about requirements after the final rule on the EHR incentive programs is released this summer, according to the CMS.
Relevant Text:
NPI, NPPES Use Account and PECOS Enrollment All eligible hospitals and Medicare eligible professionals must have a National Provider Identifier (NPI), and be enrolled in the CMS Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) to participate in the EHR incentive program. Most will also need an active user account in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). CMS will use these systems' records to register for the program and verify Medicare enrollment prior to making Medicare EHR incentive program payments.
If you are a Medicare EP that does not have an NPI and/or an NPPES web user account, see the link titled "NPI-NPPES" in the related Links Inside CMS section below. Here you can apply for an NPI and/or create a NPPES user account. For more information about PECOS enrollment, see the link called "Medicare Provider & Supplier Enrollment" in the Links Inside CMS section below.
NOTE: Medicaid eligible professionals who are only participating in the Medicaid EHR incentive program are not required to enroll in PECOS.
