Author: NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
Note: Information regarding Modified Stage 2 MU no longer applies.
Program Reminders
April is the last month to submit an attestation for the NC Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program for Program Year 2017. North Carolina’s Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment System (NC-MIPS) will close for Program Year 2017 at midnight on April 30, 2018. No changes can be made after April 30.
If the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is unable to validate a provider’s attestation with the information submitted on NC-MIPS as of midnight on April 30, 2018, the provider will be denied for Program Year 2017. Attestations submitted within 30 days of the close of the tail period are not guaranteed to be reviewed prior to April 30. Therefore, it is crucial that providers review their attestation for accuracy and completeness before submitting.
Eligible Professionals (EPs) can receive a maximum of $63,750 for six years of successful participation. Program Year 2021 is the last year to participate; therefore, EPs who have received only one incentive payment prior to Program Year 2017 must successfully attest each year from Program Year 2017 through Program Year 2021 to receive all six payments. EPs who have successfully attested at least once in program years 2011 through 2016 can return in Program Year 2017, even if they were previously denied.
If the provider was paid for Program Year 2016 using a patient volume reporting period from calendar year 2016, they may use the same patient volume reporting period when attesting in Program Year 2017.
In Program Year 2017, providers have the option to attest to Modified Stage 2 Meaningful Use (MU) or Stage 3 MU. For objective and measure requirements, providers should refer to CMS’ Modified Stage 2 MU or CMS’ Stage 3 MU specification sheets.
The attestation guides are updated each year. Providers are encouraged to use the most current Modified Stage 2 MU or Stage 3 MU attestation guide. Attestation guides can also be accessed from the menu on the right-hand side of NC-MIPS.
NOTE: Clinical Quality Measures (CQM) were updated in Program Year 2017. Providers will now select six CQMs from a list of 53. To see the Program Year 2017 CQMs, visit the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement Resource Center (eCQI) website.
Updates for Program Year 2018
On Aug. 14, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule. The release of this final rule has made the following impacts to the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program in Program Year 2018:
- Stage 3 MU is no longer required in Program Year 2018. Providers may attest to either Modified Stage 2 MU or Stage 3 MU.
- Providers may use a 2014 Edition Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT), 2015 Edition CEHRT, or a combination of 2014 Edition and 2015 Edition CEHRT.
- Providers will select six CQMs from a list of 53 (applicable in Program Year 2017).
- Providers may continue using a 90-day MU reporting period.
Visit the NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program website for additional updates as they become available.
NC Medicaid EHR Incentive Program
NCMedicaid.HIT@dhhs.nc.gov (email preferred)