After 2016 Medicaid EH Must Report Consecutive Years

April 18, 2017

Written by Patty Kosednar

This post is for Medicaid MU hospitals only. The original final rule for the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program-Stage 3 and Modifications to Meaningful Use in 2015 – 2017 states that no payments can be made to hospitals after 2016 unless the hospital has been paid in the previous year. Hospitals must receive payment on a consecutive, annual basis after 2016. This comes from section 44,497 of the original final rule in 2010 that states:

“Section 1905(t)(5)(D) requires that no payments can be made to hospitals after 2016 unless the provider have been paid a payment in the previous year; thus, while Medicaid EPs are afforded flexibility to receive six years of payments on a non-consecutive, annual basis, hospitals receiving a Medicaid incentive payment must receive payments on a consecutive, annual basis after the year 2016. Prior to 2016, Medicaid incentive payments to hospitals can be made on a nonconsecutive, annual basis.”

If you wish to continue to participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program in the future, you will need to attest and receive payment for program year 2016.

If the hospital has already successfully received incentive payments for the total number of available years in your state’s Medicaid program, you may no longer need to submit to this program (verify this with your state Medicaid office), however if you are dual eligible, you must continue to submit to the Medicare EHR Incentive program to avoid penalties. See more details on this in our blog posted 4/3/17.

If you have any questions, or run into issues with any of the meaningful use objectives and would like help please use the “Leave a Reply” section below, or email Patty Kosednar directly with your questions or comments.

Other Resource Links
CMS FAQ on MU payment penalties
CMS 2017 MU Requirements
See all 2017 MU Blog Posts
Read all previous MU posts
See our MIPS Blog

 

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