Kentucky Health Information Exchange

The Kentucky Medicaid EHR Incentive Program provides incentive payments to eligible Medicaid providers and hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology in their first year of participation in the program and successfully demonstrate meaningful use in subsequent years.

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) improve efficiency, reduce medical error, help patients make better decision about their own care and improve accuracy and clarity of medical records.

Adopting and achieving meaningful use of EHRs takes time. Providers are encouraged to begin participating in 2011 and 2012 to earn the maximum incentive. These incentive programs will not always be available. Providers may sign up for the program through 2016. Providers can get started on EHR adoption now with the help of financial incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Doctors and other eligible professionals can qualify for incentive payments totaling as much as $63,750 through Medicaid (Kentucky-based) or $44,000 through Medicare (federal). Hospitals can qualify for incentive payments totaling some $2 million or more.

You do not need to have your certified EHR technology in place to register for the EHR incentive programs. If you do not have EHR technology, at a minimum you will need to demonstrate you are in the process of implementing a system before you can receive an EHR incentive payment. However, you must adopt, implement, upgrade or successfully demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and successfully demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology under the Medicare EHR Incentive Program to continue receiving EHR incentive payments in subsequent years.

To locate your county's REC please see the Regional Extension Center Map (REC) .