News from the AOA's Blog

Medicare has begun issuing payments for the 2011 electronic health record (EHR) incentive program and the 2010 e-prescribing incentive program to physicians, including optometrists, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Payments for EHRs occur when a qualifying physician reaches $24,000 in Medicare-allowed charges this year, while e-Rx bonuses are 1 percent of Medicare-allowed charges in 2010. The e-Rx feedback reports should be available immediately after the payments are completed in August, according to the CMS.

In late May, the CMS published a list of physicians, including several optometrists, who had signed up in the first two weeks of the EHR incentive program and had already received a bonus payment (see related article).  Physicians who attest to “meaningful use” of certified EHRs for 90 days this year will receive a bonus payment of 75 percent of their Medicare allowed charges up to $18,000 (plus 10 percent in a health professional shortage area). The CMS issues the payment when the physician meets the program requirements and reaches the maximum payment (which occurs once the doctor has accumulated $24,000 in Medicare allowed charges). Nearly 300 health professionals received a bonus payment by late May, according to the CMS.

In early 2009, when legislation to establish EHR provider adoption incentives through Medicare and Medicaid was advancing in Congress, the AOA fought for and won specific changes in the bill to include optometrists.

Since then, OD participation in the Medicare incentive has been assured while the AOA and state affiliates have battled to overcome initial bureaucratic resistance to full recognition in the Medicaid incentive program as well.

The e-Rx incentive payments trace back to the AOA-supported 2008 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA), which made optometrists eligible as physicians, just as with the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).

The CMS expects to make 2010 PQRS bonus payments in September or October, immediately followed by access to PQRS feedback reports.

AOA members who supplement their Medicare income by participating in these programs should be on the lookout for payments, according to the AOA Advocacy Group.

During 2009, 1,859 optometrists earned PQRS bonuses of as much as $21,276.10. The average optometrist received $1,168.81 (mean) or $653.16 (median). Collectively, optometrists received $2,172,814.66 for PQRS that year.
 During that year, 1,559 optometrists earned e-Rx bonuses of as much as $21,048.39. The average was $1,265.87 (mean) or $729.42 (median). 

Collectively, the CMS paid optometrists $4 million for e-Rx and PQRS that year.