Pennsylvania's Office of Medical Assistance Programs plans to launch a system that will structure and safeguard the way payments are tracked to Medicaid providers who demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic health records, Government Health IT reports.
Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs will qualify for federal incentive payments through Medicaid and Medicare.
Linking the System
Officials will connect the system -- called the Medical Assistance Provider Incentive Repository -- to the:
- National Level Repository, a CMS-run system that registers all eligible health care providers and helps prevent duplicate payments; and
- Medicaid Management Information System -- Pennsylvania's system that administers the Medicaid program.
Processes
Mike Nardone -- deputy secretary of OMAP -- said the system will be able to help with all of the processes believed to be necessary to run the incentive payment program.
The national repository will transfer information to the state's MAPIR, which will allow health care providers to:
- Review the information and check it for accuracy against provider files and claims processing systems;
- Use an online portal to access data;
- Track application and decision status; and
- Add notes to health care providers' records.
Nardone said that MAPIR will be tested later this fall and that the system could be online early in 2011 (Hayes, Government Health IT, 8/11).