CMS has posted very helpful Electronic Health Record (EHR) Registration User Guides, one for Eligible Hospitals and one for Eligible Professionals. The Guides provide an excellent overview of the path to receiving EHR Incentives available under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.  As I pointed out in my previous post, CMS is encouraging Eligible Hospitals and Eligible Professionals to go ahead and register in advance of making an attestation to meaningful use of a certified EHR.  CMS has set up the system so that registrants do not have to fear that registration alone could somehow subject them to penalties later for failing to follow through with implementing and making an meaningful use of an EHR.  This is evident by reviewing the way in which the registration system is broken down into four parts or “tabs”: Registration, Attestation,  Status and Account Management.

 

Registration Tab. Here is where hospitals and physicians (as well as other practitioners eligible for incentives under State Medicaid programs) can register for the EHR Incentive Program.  Registrants also will access this Tab to take one of the following actions: Continue an Incomplete Registration, Modify an Existing Registration, Resubmit a registration that was previously deemed ineligible, Reactivate a Registration, Switch Incentive Programs (Medicare/Medicaid), Switch Medicaid State, and Cancel Participation in the EHR Incentive Program.

 

Attestation Tab.  Under this Tab is where registrants can submit their Attestation of meaningful use when ready.  This Tab also provides options and instructions for Registrants wanting to: Continue an Incomplete Attestation, Modify an Existing Attestation, or Discontinue an Attestation.

 

Status Tab.  Here, registrants can view the status of Registration, Attestation and their EHR Incentive Payment.

Account Management Tab.  Here, registrants can Update Account Information, Request Access to Organizations, or Remove Access to Organizations.

 

The Hospital Guide can be accessed here and the Eligible Professional Guide can be accessed here.