Meaningful Use Dollars Flowing
Meaningful use dollars are flowing through state Medicaid programs, but verification issues remain, a CMS staff member told participants at the HIMSS HIE symposium.
Meaningful use dollars are flowing through state Medicaid programs, but verification issues remain, a CMS staff member told participants at the HIMSS HIE symposium.
According to Jessica Kahn, technical director, 11 states have launched payment programs, with Kentucky and Oklahoma doling out $5 million in the first three days. To date, about $21 million has been issued by four states. “That quieted the naysayers,” Kahn said.
But the party is just beginning. Kahn also noted that state Medicaid programs must figure out how to verify that any incentive money they award to providers is justified. Some states will turn to provider portals to collect the necessary supporting data, while others may use statewide data exchanges. And some states are waiting to see how the federal Medicare program conducts its verifications before moving forward. The verification issues will likely prove complicated, she noted.
A provider may provide immunization data to a state registry, for example, but the state will need to figure out which of potentially multiple registries received the data. And streamlined reporting mechanisms will help providers too, she said, especially those dual-eligible providers who qualify for MU dollars under Medicare and Medicaid. To date, the government has identified 57 dual-eligible providers. “Providers should not have to figure out two ways of attestation,” she said.
According to Jessica Kahn, technical director, 11 states have launched payment programs, with Kentucky and Oklahoma doling out $5 million in the first three days. To date, about $21 million has been issued by four states. “That quieted the naysayers,” Kahn said.
But the party is just beginning. Kahn also noted that state Medicaid programs must figure out how to verify that any incentive money they award to providers is justified. Some states will turn to provider portals to collect the necessary supporting data, while others may use statewide data exchanges. And some states are waiting to see how the federal Medicare program conducts its verifications before moving forward. The verification issues will likely prove complicated, she noted.
A provider may provide immunization data to a state registry, for example, but the state will need to figure out which of potentially multiple registries received the data. And streamlined reporting mechanisms will help providers too, she said, especially those dual-eligible providers who qualify for MU dollars under Medicare and Medicaid. To date, the government has identified 57 dual-eligible providers. “Providers should not have to figure out two ways of attestation,” she said.