Who qualifies for the $44,000 HITECH Stimulus incentives?
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The HITECH Act specifies that physicians can qualify for $44,000 or more in economic stimulus incentives for adopting an EHR. What does this exactly mean? Does your practice qualify? Here are a few answers concerning HITECH incentives:
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Are HITECH incentives per physician or per office? |
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HITECH incentives are paid on a per provider basis. For example, a practice with two physicians and a nurse practitioner using an EHR could qualify for $132,000 in Medicare incentives.
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What types of health care providers can qualify for HITECH incentives? |
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 details that the following all qualify for HITECH incentives:
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- HospitalsSkilled nursing facilities
- Home health entities
- Long term care facilities
- Renal dialysis facilities
- Blood centers
- Ambulatory surgical centers
- Emergency medical service providers
- Community mental health centers
- Health care clinics
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- Federally qualified health centers (FQHC)
- Group practices
- Pharmacists
- Laboratories
- Physicians (See below)>
- Practitioners (See below)
- Indian Health Service providers
- Rural health clinics
- Therapists
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What types of physicians qualify for HITECH incentives? |
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The following types of practices can all qualify for $44,000 or more in HITECH stimulus incentives according to the definitions in the Social Security Act, section 1861(r):
- Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy – M.D. or D.O.
- Doctor of Dental Surgery or Medicine – D.D.S or D.D.M
- Doctor of Podiatric Medicine – D.P.M.
- Doctor of Optometry – O.D.
- Chiropractor – D.C.
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What types of medical practitioners are included in HITECH? |
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In addition to the list above, ARRA references “providers as defined in the Social Security Act, section 1842” as qualifying for HITECH incentives. This includes:
- A physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist
- A certified registered nurse anesthetist
- A certified nurse-midwife
- A clinical social worker
- A clinical psychologist
- A registered dietitian or nutrition professional
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Which geographic areas qualify for HITECH incentives? |
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ARRA specifies the following regions and territories as qualifying for HITECH incentives:
- All 50 US states
- The District of Columbia
- Puerto Rico
- The Virgin Islands
- Guam
- American Samoa
- The Northern Mariana Islands
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What types of medical practices do not qualify for HITECH incentives? |
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The following types of practices do not qualify for incentives based on our current understanding of the program:
- Free clinics that don’t bill Medicare or Medicaid
- Physical therapists
- Hospital-based physicians such as pathologists, anesthesiologists or emergency physicians
- Acupuncturists and other holistic providers
- Any practice not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid payments
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