What is the Regional Extension Center Program?
How do I participate in this program?
What are the Health Information Technology (HIT) Regional Extension Centers?
Who is the Center for the Advancement of Health IT (AHIT)?
What is a "Priority Primary Care Provider?"
Will providers that are not considered priority primary care be able to utilize AHIT services?
Who is eligible to receive CMS incentives for EHR adoption?
What Regional Extension Centers will serve Florida?
What services will the AHIT REC provide?
When will AHIT services begin?
How will AHIT assist providers in achieving Meaningful Use?
What Medicare and Medicaid incentives are available for purchase of electronic healthcare systems?
What is a "Cooperative Funding Agreement?"
What "Milestones" have been established under the cooperative agreeement?
Are Regional Centers services to providers and group practices free?
What dollars will our practice receive from the REC program to help with hardware and software acquisition costs?
How many Regional Extension Centers were approved by the ONC nationwide?
Congress created the Health Information Technology Extension Program for the establishment of non-profit Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers (RECs). Congressional funding will:
- Help to underwrite a large portion of the cost of all REC services to priority primary care providers and
- Keep them affordable for all participating practices.
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If you are a medical provider, please fill out the Practice Survey to verify eligibility fax it to 888-255-0213.
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The HIT Regional Extension Centers (RECs) were established as part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, (Title IV in Division B of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) authorizing financial incentives to Medicare and Medicaid providers who achieve Meaningful Use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. They are funded through Cooperative Agreements with the Office of the National Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services. The purpose of the RECs is to provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to priority primary care providers to assist them in selecting, successfully implementing, and achieving Meaningful Use of certified EHR productsa
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The Center for the Advancement of Health IT (AHIT) is a Florida Regional Extension Center program being administered by the Community Health Centers Alliance (CHCA). The AHIT Regional Extension Center supports 39 counties spanning North Florida and the Southwest Coast. AHIT is headquartered at the St. Petersburg, Florida corporate offices of CHCA.
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As defined by the HITECH Act, priority primary care providers are licensed clinicians with prescriptive privileges (MD, DO, NP, PA) that work in Internal Medicine, Family Practice, OB/GYN, and Pediatrics in the following settings:
- Small group practices (10 or less providers)
- Ambulatory clinics connected with a public or critical access hospital
- Community health centers and rural health clinics
- Other ambulatory settings that predominantly serve uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved populations
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AHIT is committed to meeting the needs of all providers in the State of Florida who wish to achieve Meaningful Use with their EHRs. While government subsidies are being prioritized for the priority primary care providers, AHIT will have opportunities for other providers to access the information and resources of the center.
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Beginning in 2011, Medicaid and Medicare providers who meet the following criteria will be eligible for the incentives:
- Use of a certified EHR to achieve Meaningful Use;
- Electronic prescribing and exchange of health information to improve the quality of care; and
- Reporting on quality measures.
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Florida has four Regional Centers approved for Cooperative Funding Agreements by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC):
- University of Central Florida, Orlando, serving Central Florida and the Orlando area ($7,669,328)
- CHC Alliance, St. Petersburg, serving 39 counties spanning North Florida and the southwest coast ($10,982,866)
- Health Choice Network, Miami, serving the southernmost east coast ($8,500,000)
- University of South Florida, Tampa, serving Tampa Bay ($5,884,132)
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An overview of the services includes but is not limited to:
- General Assistance
- Outreach / Communications / Education (including Meaningful Use)
- Vendor Selection & Group Purchasing Support
- Implementation & Project Management Support
- Practice & Workflow Redesign for HIT
- Education / Support for Functional Interoperability and Health Information Exchange
- Privacy and Security Best Practices
- Local Workforce Support
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It is anticipated services will begin during the late summer of 2010, once funding is distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the interim, interested physicians and practices are encouraged to fill out the brief Qualification Survey and fax it securely to: 888-255-0213.
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General and technical assistance will be provided to all participating practices. A customized roadmap will be developed for each participant based on the results of a readiness assessment that will be completed at the early stages of participation. Participants will receive tailored assistance for achieving Meaningful Use based on their assessment.
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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus package includes financial incentives for healthcare providers that achieve Meaningful Use with an EHR. A maximum of $44,000 per provider is available for Medicare incentives and a maximum of $63,750 per provider for Medicaid.
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Unlike a grant program, a Cooperative Agreement provides payment for specific deliverables achieved; these payments are provided after the fact. The total approved federal share is the maximum that each awardee could receive if 100% of all objectives and milestones are reached. For example, in the case of CHCA:
- Approved for Federal Match of $10.9 M over four years
- Core funds initially only $500K in each of years 1 & 2 for outreach, education, and project administration
- Remaining funds for Direct Technical Assistance received in form of quarterly “Milestone” payments
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Each awardee must demonstrate the achievement of the following milestones to qualify for payments from the ONC:
- Signed contract for Direct Technical Assistance with qualified provider
- Provider is “live” on Certified EHR with ePrescribing & Quality Reporting
- Provider achieves “Meaningful Use”
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While federal funding will help to make services affordable for all practices, including individual providers or small groups under ten providers, fees are associated with specific technical assistance. In fact, the federal guidelines explicitly require that all regional centers establish a model that is sustainable:
- “The application shall include a sustainability plan clearly setting out the recipient’s strategy to achieve sustainability by the end of the year two....”
- “It is expected that Regional Centers will generate resources to support cost sharing in ways that demonstrate provider and community commitment to the center and its goals of supporting adoption and meaningful use of health IT.”
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The REC program does not provide funds for equipment acquisition costs. The Medicare and Medicaid EHR adoption incentive programs were designed to assist practices in offsetting these costs. RECs will help providers select the best certified technology fit for their practices and provide technical assistance in the implementation process. They will also provide education and assistance in ensuring the achievement of meaningful use so that practices may apply for the incentive dollars.
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According to Mat Kendall, MPH, acting director of the Office of Provider Adoption Support (OPAS) at the Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator, 60 organizations are covering 90% of the United States. There are a few "orphan" counties, including several within Florida. The ONC may release an additional FOA in the near future to help ensure providers in those areas are able to connect to a Regional Center for services.
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Should you have additional questions, please email: rec@chcalliance.org
Answers to questions received throughout this process will be posted here. Check back often!
CHCA wishes to acknowledge support from the Office of the National Coordinator, Department of Health and Human Services, Award #90RC0051/01.