Medicare EHR Incentive Program
If You Have Not Demonstrated Meaningful Use in Previous Years
Unfortunately, the opportunity for eligible providers to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is over. The final year to participate was 2014. Eligible providers that did not demonstrate Meaningful Use will receive penalties beginning in 2015 of 1% of Medicare reimbursement and will increase 1% each year, with a maximum penalty of 5%.
Eligible providers can avoid future penalties by attesting for Meaningful Use; however, there will be no CMS Incentive Payments received.
Penalty Scheduled Based on Annual Medicare Reimbursement:
Penalty Scheduled Based on Annual Medicare Reimbursement if Meaningful Use is demonstrated starting 2015:
2015 Rule Changes:
In 2015 CMS modified the structure of Meaningful Use in an effort to streamline the program. As a result all providers, regardless of current status of participation, will attest to the same set of objectives for 2015, 2016, and potentially 2017 (there is an option to implement Stage 3 in 2017). This new consolidated set of objectives is referred to as "Modified Stage 2".
2016 Modified Stage 2 of Meaningful Use 2016 Modified Stage 2 Reporting Period
2017 Modified Stage 2 of Meaningful Use - Will no longer be applicable pending the final approval of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2017 Modified Stage 2 Reporting Period
If You Have Demonstrated Meaningful Use in Previous Years If you have demonstrated Meaningful Use in previous years, providers in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can receive up to $44,000. Providers that do not attest for meaningful use in any given year will receive a penalty for that respective future year. If your first year of demonstration was in 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014, then your participation timeline, reporting periods and schedule of incentive payments are as follows: 
How the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Impacts Meaningful Use in CY 2017 The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) will streamline how Medicare measures value and quality of care by doctors and other clinicians by streamlining three independent programs: Physician Quality Reporting Program (PQRS), Medicare EHR Incentive Program – Meaningful Use (MU), and Value-Based Payment Modifier Program. MIPS will sunset Meaningful Use payment adjustments for Eligible Professionals (EPs) at the end of CY 2018. In the place of meaningful use, MIPS will require EPs to meet the performance category requirements for Advancing Care Information (ACI). The ACI category would replace the MU Incentive Program and accounts for 25% of an EP’s total performance score. The other performance categories and percentage of total score include: Quality (50%), Clinical Practice Improvement Activities (15%), and Cost (10%). CY 2017 is the first performance year with Medicare payment adjustments beginning in CY 2019.