Delegates call for eliminating Medicare penalties for failing to show “meaningful use” of electronic records by 2015. But some fear incentives could also go.
By Emily Berry, AMNews staff.
Chicago – Physician-delegates at the AMA Annual Meeting in June formally came out against planned penalties included in this year’s federal stimulus bill that would dock Medicare pay for physicians who do not have a qualifying electronic health record.
The “adjustments” start at 1% of the physician’s Medicare fee schedule and are set to begin in 2015, after four years of available incentives for adoption. The penalties are set to increase each subsequent year to a maximum of 5%.
Delegates passed a resolution calling for the Association to ask the federal government to eliminate the penalties and advocate for federal assistance with up-front and maintenance costs of EHR use. More EMR Stimulus Package