More States Begin Efforts to Implement Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments - March 31, 2010

On March 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that six new states will receive federal matching funds for administrative costs to implement the Medicaid electronic health record incentive payment program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The new states: North Carolina, Colorado, Mississippi, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah, have all obtained approval and a 90% federal match for proposed state planning activities. Since November, CMS has awarded a total of $50.16 million to 32 states and territories, including the new states. NAPH reminds its members that states must complete a series of planning activities before they can begin making incentive payments—which could be available as early as the last quarter of fiscal year 2010 in fast-acting states. For more information, please refer to NAPH’s related webinar presentation, or contact Xiaoyi Huang at (202) 585-0127.