§495.4 Definitions.
In this part, unless otherwise indicated—
Certified electronic health record technology has the same definition as this term is defined at 45 CFR 170.102.
Critical access hospital (CAH) means a facility that has been certified as a critical access hospital under section 1820(e) of the Act and for which Medicare payment is made under section 1814(l) of the Act for inpatient services and under section 1834(g) of the Act for outpatient services.
EHR reporting period means either of the following:
(1) For an eligible professional (EP)—
(i) For the first payment year, any continuous 90-day period within a calendar year;
(ii)(A) Except as specified in paragraph (1)(ii)(B) of this definition, for the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth payment year, the calendar year.
(B) For Medicaid providers who are demonstrating they are meaningful EHR users for the first time in their second payment year, the EHR reporting period during such second payment year is any continuous 90-day period within the calendar year.
(2) For an eligible hospital or a CAH—
(i) For the first payment year, any continuous 90-day period within a federal fiscal year; and
(ii)(A) Except as specified in paragraph (2)(ii)(B) of this definition, for the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth payment year, the Federal fiscal year.
(B) For Medicaid providers who are demonstrating they are meaningful EHR users for the first time in their second payment year, the EHR reporting period during such second payment year is any continuous 90-day period within the Federal fiscal year.
Eligible hospital means an eligible hospital as defined under §495.100 or Medicaid eligible hospital under subpart D of this part.
Eligible professional (EP) means an eligible professional as defined under §495.100 or a Medicaid eligible professional under subpart D of this part.
Hospital-based EP is an EP (as defined under this section) who furnishes 90 percent or more of his or her covered professional services in a hospital setting in the year preceding the payment year. For Medicare, this will be calculated based on the Federal FY prior to the payment year. For Medicaid, it is at the State‘s discretion if the data is gathered on the Federal FY or CY prior to the payment year. A setting is considered a hospital setting if it is a site of service that would be identified by the codes used in the HIPAA standard transactions as an inpatient hospital, or emergency room setting.
Meaningful EHR user means:
(1) Subject to paragraph (3) of this definition, an EP, eligible hospital or CAH that, for an EHR reporting period for a payment year, demonstrates in accordance with §495.8 meaningful use of certified EHR technology by meeting the applicable objectives and associated measures under §495.6; and
(2) (i) Except as specified in paragraph (2)(ii) of this definition, a Medicaid EP or Medicaid eligible hospital, that meets the requirements of paragraph (1) of this definition and any additional criteria for meaningful use imposed by the State and approved by CMS under §495.316 and §495.332.
(ii) An eligible hospital or CAH is deemed to be a meaningful EHR user for purposes of receiving an incentive payment under subpart D of this Part, if the hospital participates in both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs, and the hospital meets the requirements of paragraph (1) of this definition.
(3) To be considered a meaningful EHR user, at least 50 percent of an EP‘s patient encounters during the EHR reporting period during the payment year must occur at a practice/location or practices/locations equipped with certified EHR technology.
Payment year means:
(1) For an EP, a calendar year beginning with CY 2011; and
(2) For a CAH or an eligible hospital, a Federal fiscal year beginning with FY 2011.
Qualified EHR has the same definition as this term is defined at 45 CFR 170.102. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth payment years mean as follows:
(1) The first payment year is: with respect to an EP, the first calendar year for which the EP receives an incentive payment under this part; and with respect to an eligible hospital or CAH, the first FY for which the hospital receives an incentive payment under this part.
(2) The second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth payment year is:
(i) With respect to a Medicare EP, the second, third, fourth or fifth successive CY immediately following the first payment year; and with respect to a Medicare eligible hospital or CAH, the second, third, or fourth successive Federal FY immediately following the first payment year. (Note: Medicare EPs are not eligible for a sixth payment year and Medicare eligible hospitals are not eligible for a fifth or sixth payment year.)
(ii) (A) With respect to a Medicaid EP, the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth CY for which the EP receives an incentive payment under subpart D, regardless of whether the year immediately follows the prior payment year; and
(B) With respect to a Medicaid eligible hospital, for years prior to FY 2017, the second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth Federal FY for which the hospital receives an incentive payment under subpart D of this part, regardless of whether the year immediately follows the prior payment year. Beginning with FY 2017, payments to Medicaid eligible hospitals must be consecutive, and the hospital is not eligible for an incentive payment under subpart D of this part unless it received such incentive payment for the prior fiscal year.
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