Letter to State Medicaid Directors Addresses a Change to Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter on April 8 to state Medicaid Directors outlining changes to the “meaningful use” standards for the Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. According to the CMS letter, eligible professionals participating in a state Medicaid EHR incentive program no longer need to document their own contributions or outside contributions used for certified EHR purchases. This change was implemented under the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act, which specifically revoked the requirement that participants in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program document that they personally contributed at least 15 percent of the purchase costs to successfully demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. The CMS Letter to state Medicaid directors can be found at: https://www.cms.gov/smdl/downloads/SMD11002.pdf.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Center for Medicaid, CHIP and Survey & Certification. “Re: Technical Changes Impacting the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program from the 2010 Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act.” State Medicaid Director Letter. 8 Apr. 2011.