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If you’re a doctor looking to add, or upgrade, EMR in your office, and take advantage of economic stimulus money to pay for it, read these frequently asked questions. Visit http://www.acomhealth.com/software/hitech_stimulus_EHR.html to access more information about the 2009 Stimulus Act. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on this and other topics, you can join ACOM Health’s blog at http://blog.acomhealth.com/ to stay in the loop.

Q. In a nutshell, what does the bill mean to the typical chiropractor?
A. Chiropractors who comply with the conditions of implementation and “meaningful use” of certified Electronic
Medical/Health Record solutions can receive grants paid as “bonuses” to their Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
The payments relate to their delivery of covered services during the prior payment year. Doctors can receive up to
$44,000 in grants based on Medicare reimbursements and up to $65,000 in grants for Medicaid reimbursements.

Q. What is the difference between the Medicare and Medicaid incentive options?
A. Physicians can opt for either the Medicare program or the Medicaid program, but not both. Medicare is administered
by the Federal government, while Medicaid is largely left to the individual states. Size of grants (or bonuses) paid to
Doctors is connected to the amount of service doctors provide under the respective programs. Payments will be made on
a diminishing scale over five year period with those for Medicare terminating in 2015 while those of Medicaid currently
have no established expiration date. Program details and definitions will continue to evolve throughout 2009 and possibly
beyond.

Q. How much in Medicare reimbursements do I need to file to receive a maximum grant?
A. Just $25,000 a year in Medicare reimbursements will deliver a maximum annual grant payment under the government
plan. For a Chiropractor collecting an average of $20 per Medicare patient visit that is just 1,250 annual visits or 5
Medicare visits a day.

Q. Are all physicians in the U.S. eligible for incentive payments from Medicare and Medicaid?
A. Not necessarily. Doctors who practice in hospitals are not eligible for the incentive payments.

Q. How are Chiropractors going to be able to participate?
A. For purposes of this legislation, chiropractors are just like any other doctor. They must purchase and demonstrate
meaningful use of a certified EMR/EHR solution and provide care to Medicare or Medicare patients.

Q. Can a physician be penalized for not utilizing an EHR by 2015?
A. If eligible professionals have not implemented and used a certified solution by 2015 their Medicare/Medicaid payments
will be reduced by 1% in 2015; 2% in 2016; and 3% in 2017. Penalties could reach 4% or even 5% if fewer than 75
percent of eligible professionals have not adopted EMR/EHR solutions by 2018.