Endocrine Insider
February 5, 2009

The economic stimulus bill passed last week by the House of Representatives and currently under discussion in the Senate includes provisions important to endocrinologists and other physicians. A section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help to create and promote the widespread adoption of health information technology (HIT). In particular, the portion of the bill focused on HIT, known as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, would provide incentive payments to eligible physicians who adopt and use a certified EHR system by the year 2015.

The program will provide payments over a five-year period through Medicare Part B. The total amount that a physician could receive would be capped and would decrease over time. Beginning in 2011, eligible physicians could receive up to $15,000 in the first year, $12,000 in the second year, $8,000 in the third year, $4,000 in the fourth year, and $2,000 in the final year. Eligible physicians first becoming meaningful EHR users after 2013 would be subject to lower caps, and those who did not adopt EHRs until after 2015 would receive no bonus. Details on certified systems and eligibility requirements are not yet available and will be determined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.

In addition to HIT provisions, the economic stimulus bill contains positive changes to graduate medical education funding. The bill places a retroactive moratorium on a 50 percent cut to capital Medicare Indirect Medical Education payments scheduled to take place in October. In addition, it extends a moratorium on a series of Medicaid regulations that would eliminate federal matching payments for graduate medical education.

Both of these issues continue to remain in flux while the Senate debates the stimulus package. Stay tuned to alerts and future issues of Endocrine Insider for more information.