Electronic Health Records (EHR)

The Noridian Provider Contact Center (PCC) does not have access to specific EHR standings. To acquire this information, contact the EHR Incentive Program Information Center at 1-888-734-6433 or Teletypewriter (TTY) 1-888-734-6563.

Electronic Health Records (EHR) is an electronic version of a patient's medical history that is maintained by the provider over time, and may include all key administrative clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider, including:

  • Demographics
  • Examination findings
  • Immunizations
  • Laboratory data
  • Medications
  • Orders
  • Past medical history
  • Problems
  • Procedures performed as documented in the EHR
  • Progress notes
  • Radiology reports
  • Vital signs

EHR automates access to information and has the potential to streamline the clinician's workflow. It also can support other care-related activities directly or indirectly through various interfaces, including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.

EHR will provide incentive payments to Eligible Professionals (EPs), hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT). For 2015 and later, Medicare EPs who do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will have a payment adjustment to their Medicare reimbursement. The payment reduction starts at 1% and increases each year that a Medicare EP does not demonstrate meaningful use, to a maximum of 5%.

Attestation deadlines for an EHR reporting period to avoid the 2018 payment adjustment for returning EPs was March 13, 2017. First time EPs who have not demonstrated meaningful use successfully in a prior year have until October 1, 2017 to attest or apply for the one-time hardship exception - if they are transitioning to MIPS (Medicare Part B) in 2017.

Contact the Enrollment Call Center (ECC) for assistance with attesting to certain providers or sole proprietors. ECC will verify that the information in the Provider Enrollment Chain and Operating System (PECOS) make updates if incorrect.

EPs able to complete EHR include:

  • Physicians (primarily doctors of medicine and doctors of osteopathy)
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Certified nurse-midwives
  • Dentists
  • Physician assistants who furnish services in a Federally Qualified Center or Rural Health Clinic that is led by a physician assistant

Dates to Remember

Dates Reminders
January 1 - December 31, 2017
  • 2017 EHR Incentive Programs Reporting Period
July 1, 2017
  • EP and eligible hospital deadline to submit a hardship application for the 2018 payment adjustment, based on the 2016 reporting period
  • CAH deadline to submit a hardship application for the 2016 payment adjustment based on the 2016 EHR reporting period.
October 1, 2017
  • First-time Participants CY 2017 EHR Reporting Period Attestation Deadline.
  • Deadline for EPs who have not successfully demonstrated meaningful use in a prior year under the EHR Incentive Program and are transitioning to Merit-Based Inpatient Payment System (MIPS) in 2017 to submit a hardship application for the 2018 payment adjustment.
  • Deadline for Eligible hospitals and CAHs that have not successfully demonstrated meaningful use in a prior year, and are seeking to demonstrate meaningful use for the first time in 2017 to avoid the 2018 payment adjustment.
February 28, 2018
  • For the CY 2017 reporting period, hospitals participating in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program must self-select and successfully report on a minimum of 8 of the 15 available eCQMs utilizing EHR technology certified to the 2014 or 2015 Edition through the QualityNet Secure Portal.

Resources

Last Updated Apr 08 , 2024