AMGA applauds Representative Pomeroy for assuring fairness in EMR incentive payment under ARRA

The American Medical Group Association (AMGA) applauds Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND, At-Large) for his efforts to assure fairness in payment of electronic medical record (EMR) incentive payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Popularly known as the "stimulus bill," ARRA included incentive payments designed to stimulate widespread adoption of EMRs and to reward medical groups and other providers that were early adopters of this technology. Recently, however, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed regulation that would have denied some of the nation's finest healthcare providers from receiving significant EMR incentive payments.

Representative Pomeroy, along with 22 of his House colleagues, sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius expressing their deep concern and disappointment over CMS's proposed regulation. Representative Pomeroy wrote that the proposed rule was narrowly drawn and contrary to clear congressional intent.

The letter went on to say that excluding provider-based entities "would penalize some of the nation's pioneers of EMR use," including Innovis Health in North Dakota. Rep. Pomeroy asked Secretary Sebelius to instruct CMS to follow clear congressional intent in the final version of rule making to ensure that provider-based entity physicians were eligible for EMR incentive payments.

"Adopting electronic medical records is a great way to improve care and reduce costs in our hospitals," Pomeroy said. "The economic recovery package was aimed at encouraging more medical facilities to adopt electronic medical records. That's good for improving care and for bringing down costs at our hospitals. It's important that we don't penalize hospitals like Innovis Health in North Dakota that have been leaders in this area."

Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., AMGA President and CEO, commented, "AMGA applauds Representative Pomeroy for his outstanding efforts on this critical matter. Without Congressman Pomeroy's leadership, many of North Dakota's and the country's finest healthcare providers like Innovis Health and the Cleveland Clinic would have been unable to receive incentive payments for electronic medical records. These EMR systems ensure patient safety and reduce costs, issues that are important to Congressman Pomeroy. We sincerely thank Mr. Pomeroy and look forward to working with him to improve the healthcare system."