Hoyer Announces Nearly $1.4 Million in Federal Funding to Implement Recovery Act's Electronic Health Record Incentive Program

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) announced today that  Maryland's Medicaid program will receive approximately $1.37 million in federal matching funds from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for state planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"The Recovery Act has already meant significant health care resources for Maryland, and these matching funds will make sure that in our efforts to modernize our health care system, we ensure that providers serving the neediest among us have the tools they need to effectively administer care," stated Rep. Hoyer. "By accelerating the use of health IT, these funds will help reduce health care costs in the long-term, increase patient safety, provide better quality care and coordination, eliminate duplicative tests and paperwork, and create jobs in the emerging health IT industry."

The Medicaid EHR incentive program provides incentive payments – for use in the first year and for up to another five years – to eligible professionals and hospitals for efforts to adopt, implement or upgrade certified EHR technology. These Recovery Act funds will allow Maryland to conduct a comprehensive analysis to determine the current status of Health Information Technology (HIT) activities in the state, including gathering information on existing barriers to Maryland's use of EHRs, provider eligibility for EHR incentive payments, and the creation of a State Medicaid HIT Plan, in an effort to define the state's vision for its long-term HIT use.

Click here for additional information on implementation of the Medicaid-related provisions of the Recovery Act's EHR incentive payment program.

In addition to today's announcement, Maryland has already received the following Recovery Act funding to improve the provision of health information technology, prevent medical errors and reduce overall costs for care:

·         The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded $5,535,423 to Maryland's Chesapeake Regional Information System in April 2010, for our Patients to establish Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs) throughout the state.

·         The State Health Information (State HIE) Exchange Cooperative Agreement Program awarded $9,313,924 to the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene in March 2010, as part of a nationwide effort to build capacity for exchanging health information across the health care system. This program builds on existing efforts to advance regional and state-level health information exchange while moving toward a nationwide interoperability.

·         Johns Hopkins University – one of five universities nationwide – received $1,820,000 for the Curriculum Development Centers Program in April 2010 to support health information technology curriculum development.

·         Johns Hopkins University – one of nine universities nationwide –received another $3,752,512 in April 2010 to promptly establish new and/or expand health IT training programs.  Many of these programs can be completed by the trainee in one year or less.

###