CONTACT: Stephanie Smiley, (608) 266-1683

INCENTIVE PAYMENTS AVAILABLE TO WISCONSIN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

MADISON—The Department of Health Services (DHS) is now accepting applications for the federal Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The program encourages health care providers to use certified electronic health records (EHRs) to improve the quality of patient care for Wisconsin residents.

The Wisconsin Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is open to eligible Medicaid professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, dentists, and physicians assistants, and acute care, critical access and children’s hospitals. To be eligible for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, providers and hospitals must have a record of serving a minimum number of Medicaid members as they worked toward incorporating certified EHRs into their procedures.

Wisconsin providers meeting program eligibility requirements can receive $21,250 for their first year’s participation in the program, and may be eligible for a total of $63,750 over six years of participation. Wisconsin hospitals meeting program requirements can receive payments over three years for varying amounts depending on the hospital’s characteristics.

Some 610 of Wisconsin’s eligible health care professionals and hospitals have registered for an incentive payment and more than $9.3 million in incentive payments have already been disbursed. Another $19.8 million is expected to be disbursed over the next week.

“Wisconsin continues to be a leader in improving the quality, safety and efficiency of health care by leveraging the capabilities of certified health information technology to deliver better and lower cost care,” said Brett Davis, Department of Health Services Medicaid Director. “We expect the highest quality health care for Wisconsin’s children and families.”

To apply for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, health care professionals and hospitals should complete a registration at the Medicare and Medicaid Services Registration and Attestation System at  and then can complete an application through the secure ForwardHealth Portal.

For information on the Wisconsin Medicaid EHR incentive Program, provider eligibility rules, EHR adoption, or frequently asked questions, visit http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ehrincentive/ or call Provider Services, (800) 947-9627.

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Last Revised:  October 06, 2011