Medicare has paid $920.3 million and Medicaid has chipped in an estimated $916 million, according to figures from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services presented Dec. 7 to the HIT Policy Committee.
Medicare meaningful use payments have gone to 10,155 eligible professionals, 34 Medicare-only hospitals, and 377 Medicare and Medicaid hospitals. Medicaid meaningful use payments have gone to 11,270 eligible professionals and 800 hospitals.
After a start to the meaningful use programs that was slower than CMS anticipated, incentive payments took off in September for hospitals and in October for eligible providers, says Robert Anthony, a health insurance specialist in CMS' Office of E-Health Standards and Services. And with eligible providers having until Feb. 29, 2012, to attest to 2011 meaningful use, "we think we'll see a real influx of people coming in," he told the policy committee.
For more information about how the meaningful use program is progressing, click here.
Be the first to comment on this post using the section below.