AIU
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Attestation
Certified EHR
Clinical Quality Measures (CQM)
EHR Incentive Program
Eligible Provider
Priority Primary Care Provider (PPCP)
Regional Extension Center (REC)

AIU: stands for Adopt, Implement or Upgrade. Providers in their first year of participation in the Medicaid (MediCal) incentive payment program may demonstrate that they have adopted (e.g. acquired, purchased or secured access to), implemented (e.g. installed or commenced utilization of) or upgraded to certified EHR technology in order to qualify for an incentive payment. Attesting and earning an AIU payment is NOT the same as attesting to Meaningful Use and is only available.

 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA): As a direct response to the economic crisis in February 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and President Obama signed it into law four days later. The Recovery Act’s three immediate goals are: create new jobs and save existing ones, spur economic activity and invest in long-term growth, foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending. Visit the Recovery.gov website for more information.

 

Attestation: Providers must “attest” to Meaningful Use in order to earn EHR incentive payments through Medicare or Medicaid. Attestation has three steps:

  1. Successfully register on the CMS website for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program
  2. Meet meaningful use criteria using certified EHR technology
  3. Successfully attest, using CMS’ Web-based system, that you have met meaningful use criteria using certified EHR technology.

 

Certified EHR: The Certified HIT Product List (CHPL) provides the authoritative, comprehensive listing of Complete EHRs and EHR Modules that have been tested and certified under the Temporary Certification Program maintained by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

 

Clinical Quality Measures (CQMs): Clinical Quality Measures, also known as CQMs, are a mechanism for assessing observations, treatment, processes, experience, and/or outcomes of patient care. CQMs are required as part of meaningful use requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs.

 

EHR Incentive Program: The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

 

Eligible Professional (EP): A healthcare professional or hospital that meets the eligibility criteria defined by law in order to receive incentive payments for implementing Electronic Health Record programs.

 

Priority Primary Care Provider (PPCP): As defined by the HITECH Act, priority primary care providers are physicians (Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OB/GYN, Pediatrics) and other healthcare professionals (PA, NP, Nurse Midwife) with prescribing privileges in the following settings:

  • Small group practices (10 or less providers)
  • Ambulatory clinics connected with a public or critical access hospital
  • Community health centers and rural health clinics
  • Other ambulatory settings that predominantly serve uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved population

 

Regional Extension Center: A Regional Extension Center (REC) is an organization that has received funding under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) to assist health care providers with the selection and implementation of electronic health record (EHR) technology. Under the HITECH Act, RECs have three specific objectives:

  1. Provide training and support services to assist in EHR adoption.
  2. Offer information and guidance with EHR implementation (but not to carry out such an implementation).
  3. Give other technical assistance as needed.