HHS receives more than thirty applications for electronic health records pilot program

HHS has received more than 30 applications from communities that seek to participate in a Medicare pilot program that uses electronic health records, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 5/20).

Under the pilot program, HHS and CMS will recruit 100 physician practices in 12 communities to participate, with an additional 100 practices in the communities selected to serve as a randomized control group.

Physician practices that participate in the pilot program will receive bonuses of as much as $58,000 per physician or as much as $290,000 per practice after they implement EHRs and meet certain quality standards over a period of five years (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 3/12).

HHS will announce the 12 selected communities in June. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt in a release said that the high number of applications "shows the great appetite for programs that offer incentive to physicians who efficiently use EHRs to improve the quality of care" (CQ HealthBeat, 5/20).