First, the good news — it’s not too late to qualify for Meaningful Use incentive money in 2014.

This is the last year the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) will offer incentives, so practices should take advantage of this if no electronic health records system is yet in place. A practice can earn $11,760 in incentives per provider this year if they attest to Meaningful Use by December 31, 2014. Practices may earn up to $23,520 if the practice continues to meet meaningful use through 2016.

Here is  the incentive payment information.

Now, the bad news — if a practice has not yet begun the Meaningful Use process, they will incure the 1 percent Medicare penalty in 2015 because they will be unable to attest to Meaningful Use in the first nine months of 2014 as required.

Contact Terri Gonzalez, the North Carolina Medical Society’s Director of Practice Improvement at 919-833-3836 x123 if you need help or more information on Meaningful Use.

CMS also provides An Introduction to EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals: 2014 Clinical Quality Measure Electronic Reporting Guide that may be useful.