HITECH Act Payments

‘‘(F)(i) 100 percent of so much of the sums expended during such quarter as are attributable to payments to Medicaid providers described in subsection (t)(1) to encourage the adoption and use of certified EHR technology; and

‘‘(ii) 90 percent of so much of the sums expended during such quarter as are attributable to payments for reasonable administrative expenses related to the administration of payments described in clause (i) if the State meets the condition described in subsection (t)(9); plus’’; and

‘‘(t)(1) For purposes of subsection (a)(3)(F), the payments described in this paragraph to encourage the adoption and use of certified EHR technology are payments made by the State in accordance with this subsection —

‘‘(A) to Medicaid providers described in paragraph (2)(A) not in excess of 85 percent of net average allowable costs (as defined in paragraph (3)(E)) for certified EHR technology (and support services including maintenance and training that is for, or is necessary for the adoption and operation of, such technology) with respect to such providers; and

‘‘(B) to Medicaid providers described in paragraph (2)(B) not in excess of the maximum amount permitted under paragraph (5) for the provider involved.

‘‘(2) In this subsection and subsection (a)(3)(F), the term ‘Medicaid provider’ means—

‘‘(A) an eligible professional (as defined in paragraph (3)(B))—

‘‘(i) who is not hospital-based and has at least 30 percent of the professional’s patient volume (as estimated in accordance with a methodology established by the Secretary) attributable to individuals who are receiving medical assistance under this title;

‘‘(ii) who is not described in clause (i), who is a pediatrician, who is not hospital-based, and who has at least 20 percent of the professional’s patient volume (as estimated in accordance with a methodology established by the Secretary) attributable to individuals who are receiving medical assistance under this title; and

‘‘(iii) who practices predominantly in a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic and has at least 30 percent of the professional’s patient volume (as estimated in accordance with a methodology established by the Secretary) attributable to needy individuals (as defined in paragraph (3)(F)); and

‘‘(B)(i) a children’s hospital, or

‘‘(ii) an acute-care hospital that is not described in clause (i) and that has at least 10 percent of the hospital’s patient volume (as estimated in accordance with a methodology established by the Secretary) attributable to individuals who are receiving medical assistance under this title. An eligible professional shall not qualify as a Medicaid provider under this subsection unless any right to payment under sections 1848(o) and 1853(l) with respect to the eligible professional has been waived in a manner specified by the Secretary. For purposes of calculating patient volume under subparagraph (A)(iii), insofar as it is related to uncompensated care, the Secretary may require the adjustment of such uncompensated care data so that it would be an appropriate proxy for charity care, including a downward adjustment to eliminate bad debt data from uncompensated care. In applying subparagraphs (A) and (B)(ii), the methodology established by the Secretary for patient volume shall include individuals enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan (under section 1903(m) or section 1932).

‘‘(3) In this subsection and subsection (a)(3)(F):

‘‘(A) The term ‘certified EHR technology’ means a qualified electronic health record (as defined in 3000(13) of the Public Health Service Act) that is certified pursuant to section 3001(c)(5) of such Act as meeting standards adopted under section 3004 of such Act that are applicable to the type of record involved (as determined by the Secretary, such as an ambulatory electronic health record for office-based physicians or an inpatient hospital electronic health record for hospitals).

‘‘(B) The term ‘eligible professional’ means a—

‘‘(i) physician;

‘‘(ii) dentist;

‘‘(iii) certified nurse mid-wife;

‘‘(iv) nurse practitioner; and

‘‘(v) physician assistant insofar as the assistant is practicing in a rural health clinic that is led by a physician assistant or is practicing in a Federally qualified health center that is so led.

‘‘(C) The term ‘average allowable costs’ means, with respect to certified EHR technology of Medicaid providers described in paragraph (2)(A) for—

‘‘(i) the first year of payment with respect to such a provider, the average costs for the purchase and initial implementation or upgrade of such technology (and support services including training that is for, or is necessary for the adoption and initial operation of, such technology) for such providers, as determined by the Secretary based upon studies conducted under paragraph (4)(C); and

‘‘(ii) a subsequent year of payment with respect to such a provider, the average costs not described in clause (i) relating to the operation, maintenance, and use of such technology for such providers, as determined by the Secretary based upon studies conducted under paragraph (4)(C).

‘‘(D) The term ‘hospital-based’ means, with respect to an eligible professional, a professional (such as a pathologist, anesthesiologist, or emergency physician) who furnishes substantially all of the individual’s professional services in a hospital setting (whether inpatient or outpatient) and through the use of the facilities and equipment, including qualified electronic health records, of the hospital. The determination of whether an eligible professional is a hospital-based eligible professional shall be made on the basis of the site of service (as defined by the Secretary) and without regard to any employment or billing arrangement between the eligible professional and any other provider.

‘‘(E) The term ‘net average allowable costs’ means, with respect to a Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(A), average allowable costs reduced by any payment that is made to such Medicaid provider from any other source (other than under this subsection or by a State or local government) that is directly attributable to payment for certified EHR technology or support services described in subparagraph (C).

‘‘(F) The term ‘needy individual’ means, with respect to a Medicaid provider, an individual—

‘‘(i) who is receiving assistance under this title;

‘‘(ii) who is receiving assistance under title XXI;

‘‘(iii) who is furnished uncompensated care by the provider; or

‘‘(iv) for whom charges are reduced by the provider on a sliding scale basis based on an individual’s ability to pay.

‘‘(4)(A) With respect to a Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(A), subject to subparagraph (B), in no case shall—

‘‘(i) the net average allowable costs under this subsection for the first year of payment (which may not be later than 2016), which is intended to cover the costs described in paragraph (3)(C)(i), exceed $25,000 (or such lesser amount as the Secretary determines based on studies conducted under subparagraph (C));

‘‘(ii) the net average allowable costs under this subsection for a subsequent year of payment, which is intended to cover costs described in paragraph (3)(C)(ii), exceed $10,000; and

‘‘(iii) payments be made for costs described in clause (ii) after 2021 or over a period of longer than 5 years.

‘‘(B) In the case of Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(A)(ii), the dollar amounts specified in subparagraph (A) shall be 2⁄3 of the dollar amounts otherwise specified.

‘‘(C) For the purposes of determining average allowable costs under this subsection, the Secretary shall study the average costs to Medicaid providers described in paragraph (2)(A) of purchase and initial implementation and upgrade of certified EHR technology described in paragraph (3)(C)(i) and the average costs to such providers of operations, maintenance, and use of such technology described in paragraph (3)(C)(ii). In determining such costs for such providers, the Secretary may utilize studies of such amounts submitted by States.

‘‘(5)(A) In no case shall the payments described in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to a Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(B) exceed—

‘‘(i) in the aggregate the product of—

‘‘(I) the overall hospital EHR amount for the provider computed under subparagraph (B); and

‘‘(II) the Medicaid share for such provider computed under subparagraph (C);

‘‘(ii) in any year 50 percent of the product described in clause (i); and

‘‘(iii) in any 2-year period 90 percent of such product.

‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the overall hospital EHR amount, with respect to a Medicaid provider, is the sum of the applicable amounts specified in section 1886(n)(2)(A) for such provider for the first 4 payment years (as estimated by the Secretary) determined as if the Medicare share specified in clause (ii) of such section were 1. The Secretary shall establish, in consultation with the State, the overall hospital EHR amount for each such Medicaid provider eligible for payments under paragraph (1)(B). For purposes of this subparagraph in computing the amounts under section 1886(n)(2)(C) for payment years after the first payment year, the Secretary shall assume that in subsequent payment years discharges increase at the average annual rate of growth of the most recent 3 years for which discharge data are available per year.

‘‘(C) The Medicaid share computed under this subparagraph, for a Medicaid provider for a period specified by the Secretary, shall be calculated in the same manner as the Medicare share under section 1886(n)(2)(D) for such a hospital and period, except that there shall be substituted for the numerator under clause (i) of such section the amount that is equal to the number of inpatient-bed-days (as established by the Secretary) which are attributable to individuals who are receiving medical assistance under this title and who are not described in section 1886(n)(2)(D)(i). In computing inpatient-bed-days under the previous sentence, the Secretary shall take into account inpatient-bed-days attributable to inpatient-bed-days that are paid for individuals enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan (under section 1903(m) or section 1932).

‘‘(D) In no case may the payments described in paragraph (1)(B) with respect to a Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(B) be paid—

‘‘(i) for any year beginning after 2016 unless the provider has been provided payment under paragraph (1)(B) for the previous year; and

‘‘(ii) over a period of more than 6 years of payment.

‘‘(6) Payments described in paragraph (1) are not in accordance with this subsection unless the following requirements are met:

‘‘(A)(i) The State provides assurances satisfactory to the Secretary that amounts received under subsection (a)(3)(F) with respect to payments to a Medicaid provider are paid, subject to clause (ii), directly to such provider (or to an employer or facility to which such provider has assigned payments) without any deduction or rebate.

‘‘(ii) Amounts described in clause (i) may also be paid to an entity promoting the adoption of certified EHR technology, as designated by the State, if participation in such a payment arrangement is voluntary for the eligible professional involved and if such entity does not retain more than 5 percent of such payments for costs not related to certified EHR technology (and support services including maintenance and training) that is for, or is necessary for the operation of, such technology.

‘‘(B) A Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(A) is responsible for payment of the remaining 15 percent of the net average allowable cost.

‘‘(C)(i) Subject to clause (ii), with respect to payments to a Medicaid provider—

‘‘(I) for the first year of payment to the Medicaid provider under this subsection, the Medicaid provider demonstrates that it is engaged in efforts to adopt, implement, or upgrade certified EHR technology; and

‘‘(II) for a year of payment, other than the first year of payment to the Medicaid provider under this subsection, the Medicaid provider demonstrates meaningful use of certified EHR technology through a means that is approved by the State and acceptable to the Secretary, and that may be based upon the methodologies applied under section 1848(o) or 1886(n).

‘‘(ii) In the case of a Medicaid provider who has completed adopting, implementing, or upgrading such technology prior to the first year of payment to the Medicaid provider under this subsection, clause (i)(I) shall not apply and clause (i)(II) shall apply to each year of payment to the Medicaid provider under this subsection, including the first year of payment.

‘‘(D) To the extent specified by the Secretary, the certified EHR technology is compatible with State or Federal administrative management systems. For purposes of subparagraph (B), a Medicaid provider described in paragraph (2)(A) may accept payments for the costs described in such subparagraph from a State or local government. For purposes of subparagraph (C), in establishing the means described in such subparagraph, which may include clinical quality reporting to the State, the State shall ensure that populations with unique needs, such as children, are appropriately addressed.

‘‘(7) With respect to Medicaid providers described in paragraph (2)(A), the Secretary shall ensure coordination of payment with respect to such providers under sections 1848(o) and 1853(l) and under this subsection to assure no duplication of funding. Such coordination shall include, to the extent practicable, a data matching process between State Medicaid agencies and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services using national provider identifiers. For such purposes, the Secretary may require the submission of such data relating to payments to such Medicaid providers as the Secretary may specify.

‘‘(8) In carrying out paragraph (6)(C), the State and Secretary shall seek, to the maximum extent practicable, to avoid duplicative requirements from Federal and State governments to demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology under this title and title XVIII. In doing so, the Secretary may deem satisfaction of requirements for such meaningful use for a payment year under title XVIII to be sufficient to qualify as meaningful use under this subsection. The Secretary may also specify the reporting periods under this subsection in order to carry out this paragraph.

‘‘(9) In order to be provided Federal financial participation under subsection (a)(3)(F)(ii), a State must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary, that the State—

‘‘(A) is using the funds provided for the purposes of administering payments under this subsection, including tracking of meaningful use by Medicaid providers;

‘‘(B) is conducting adequate oversight of the program under this subsection, including routine tracking of meaningful use attestations and reporting mechanisms; and

‘‘(C) is pursuing initiatives to encourage the adoption of certified EHR technology to promote health care quality and the exchange of health care information under this title, subject to applicable laws and regulations governing such exchange.

‘‘(10) The Secretary shall periodically submit reports to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate on status, progress, and oversight of payments described in paragraph (1), including steps taken to carry out paragraph (7). Such reports shall also describe the extent of adoption of certified EHR technology among Medicaid providers resulting from the provisions of this subsection and any improvements in health outcomes, clinical quality, or efficiency resulting from such adoption.’’.