Frankfort — Kentucky will receive $2.6 million in federal matching funds from the federal stimulus package to research and fund an electronic health records incentive program, according to a press release issued last week by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The funds, awarded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, will be used to plan and ultimately pay Medicaid health care providers incentives to implement EHR systems in their practices.
“President Barack Obama’s administration is calling for universal adoption of electronic health records by 2014, and we believe Kentucky is poised to be a leader in this effort,” said Cabinet Secretary Janie Miller.
“Health information technology has the potential to offer real-time information at the point of care and greater privacy and security protections than paper systems. With this funding, we will establish a plan of action to create a network for our Medicaid providers,” Miller said.
The funds will be used for planning activities that include conducting a comprehensive analysis of current health information technology across the state. As part of that study, officials will also gather information on issues such as barriers to the use of EHRs, provider eligibility for EHR incentive payments and the creation of a state Medicaid Health Information Technology Plan, which will define the state’s vision for long-term HIT use.
Kentucky plans to provide monetary incentives to Medicaid providers to enhance electronic record-keeping efforts. EHRs are expected to improve the quality and efficiency of health care by providing a statewide e-health network that would make it easier to store, access and share health records.
“This funding will enhance our efforts to create a statewide, interoperable system for our Medicaid providers, said Elizabeth Johnson, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services. “The use of this type of system will dramatically improve quality of care, particularly for our rural providers who will be able to access patient information more quickly and communicate with other providers with more accuracy and ease,” she said.
Electronic health records also make it easier for the many providers who may be treating a Medicaid patient to coordinate care. They also make it easier for patients to access their own medical information to make decisions about health care.
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provides 90 percent federal matching funds for state planning activities to administer the incentive payments and ensure proper payments through audits. Federal matching funds can also be used to participate in statewide efforts to promote interoperability and meaningful use of EHR technology statewide and eventually across the nation.
“Meaningful and interoperable use of EHRs in Medicaid will increase health care efficiency, reduce medical errors and improve quality-outcomes and patient satisfaction within and across the states,” said Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations at CMMS.
