Do you need financial assistance to help in the adoption and implementation of an Electronic Health Record? Up to $290,000 may ultimately be available to you and your practice.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has chosen Louisiana as one of the first applicants to implement an Electronic Health Records (EHR) Demonstration Project.

Project Details

• Five-year program for approximately 200 eligible physician practices beginning June 1, 2009.
  
• Eligible physician practices:
  
  • 20 or fewer providers, including solo practitioners  
  • The main provider of primary care for at least 50 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries (per practice)
  • Medical sub-specialists who also provide the primary care as specified 
  • Pediatricians and obstetricians/gynecologists are not eligible

• Random assignment of practices:
  
  • Half of the 200 practices will be required to implement a Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) certified EHR and will receive retrospective payments for reporting performance information on quality measures related to diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, and provision of preventive care services.  
  • The other 100 practices will not be held to the CMS EHR or reporting requirements and will not receive financial payment. 

• All practices will have access to technical support from Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum advisors and experts, including assistance in applying for the demonstration itself and help in achieving a smooth transition to EHR use and quality reporting among those providers selected. 

How to Apply
The application package and additional information with details about the EHR Demonstration are available on the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum’s website, www.lhcqf.org. The application is due no later than Nov. 26, 2008, and should be submitted to:

EHR Demonstration
c/o Actuarial Research Corporation, Suite 510
5950 Symphony Woods Road
Columbia, MD 21044

The Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum and its stakeholders across the state are committed to supporting your success throughout the life of this demonstration. We believe tracking quality measures using electronic health records promises to move Louisiana forward as a leader in improved health outcomes for our citizens.

Please contact the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum at 225.334.9299 with any questions about the application or the EHR Demonstration or visit their website at www.lhcqf.org.