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Home | Provider | Health Care/Medical Assistance | Medical Assistance Health Information Technology Initiative

Medical Assistance Health Information Technology Initiative

Technology has the potential to transform our health care delivery system and improve the quality of care for the patients we serve.  Tools such as electronic health records and a health information exchange, will increase a provider's access to their patient's medical information and will also provide for more efficient information sharing, reducing error rates, and the overall cost of care. Health information technology is now an integral part of a long-term solution for improving the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

The Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Payment Program was created by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and administered by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  This program provides funding to states to develop and administer provider incentive programs.

UPDATES:

Grace Period - The grace period is a 90-day period in which Eligible Professionals have the choice to apply for a 2011 (Program Year 1) payment utilizing 2010 encounter data, or for a 2012 (Program Year 2) payment utilizing 2011 encounter data.  The grace period begins January 1, 2012 and ends March 30, 2012.

Audits - Another component to the Electronic Health Record Incentive program that has begun is Audits. There is information in the Provider Manuals on this process (beginning on page 22 in the EP Provider Manual and on page 23 in the EH Provider Manual). The Department of Public Welfare is committed to administering a high-quality and efficient health information technology program and part of this process will include audits. If you are chosen for an audit, you will be notified and more details will be provided. Thank you for your cooperation.

To learn more about this program, select from the options below: Background/Summary of the Medical Assistance Health Information Technology Electronic Health Records Program - This section includes supporting documents that provide more details about the program. Frequently Asked Questions — This is a summary of the questions/answers pertaining to the Medical Assistance Health Information Technology program. Medical Assistance Provider Incentive Repository Resources, or MAPIR. Here are user guides and applications to assist with applying for the program. There are also calculators to assist you with calculating patient volume and a payment calculator for hospitals. Resources - This section provides links to websites and presentations that provide more information on the Medical Assistance Health Information Technology program. Contact Us -  Located here is the contact information as well as ways to keep informed about the progress of the program.

As shown in the chart below, Pennsylvania's Electronic Health Records incentive program has paid $62.5 million to eligible hospitals and $38.4 million to eligible professionals since its launch on June 6, 2011.