Time period for Medicare Allowable charges

Time period for Medicare Allowable charges


This is a great post related to Medicare allowable charges.


http://www.emrandhipaa.com/emr-and-hipaa/2010/11/09/emr-stimulus-question-and-answer-time-period-for-medicare-allowable-charges/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+EmrAndHipaa+(EMR+and+HIPAA)&utm_content=My+Yahoo


Let me summarize this...


Question: To qualify for EMR stimulus money we need $24,000 in allowable medicare charges per physician. I am not sure whether we have to show the $24,000 over a period of 1 year or 90 days. Can you please clarify?


Answer: The short answer is you have the entire year to accrue the $24,000 in allowable Medicare charges that’s required to get the full EMR stimulus money in year 1 (you get paid 75% of your Medicare allowable charges up to the cap for that year)


Two more questions emerge from this conversation.
1. How do you show meaningful use for 90 days of stage 1 of the year? Is there an automatic report generated from a qualified/certified EMR system? Do you have control over the reporting period?
Answer: Report is generated from the EMR system. EPs have to physically generate the report for a specific reporting period of minimum 90 consecutive days. After the first year however, it does not matter because you have to show meaningful use for the entire year - 365 days.


2. Do you have to show meaningful use for 90 consecutive calendar days?
Answer: Yes. It seems the words 'consecutive days' means calendar days, not working days. So, what if you are on vacation for 30 days within those 90 days? i.e. you start reporting October 1, go on vacation from Nov 15 - Dec 15, return and continue working Dec 16 - Dec 31? 


3. What if you show proper meaningful use in the first two years and and unable to meet the criteria of 365 days reporting in year 3? Do you have to return the money you got for the first two years? What if you restart proper usage in Year 4? Would you be qualified to receive money in year 4? How much?