Dentists & Meaningful Use:An Update on Participation &

Requirements

Dentists are eligible under both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Many dentists have already registered to participate and have received EHR incentive funds through one of these programs.

Medicare does not cover routine dental care or most dental procedures. For that reason, most dentists must look to Medicaid for incentive program participation.

As of July 2012, CMS reported:• 6,121 dentists have registered for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.• 242 dentists have registered for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.

As of July 2012, CMS reported:• 3,049 dentists have received a total of $64,583,000 in Medicaid EHR incentives.• 59 dentists have received a total of $892,856 in Medicare EHR incentives.

In order to qualify for incentives, dentists must meet the same eligibility requirements as other types of providers pursuing EHR incentives.

The American Dental Association estimates that about 12,000 dentists meet the Medicaid patient volume threshold of 30 percent, making them eligible to participate & qualify for up to $67,350 over the 6-year Medicaid EHR Incentive program.

There are no dental-specific measures in Stage 1 or Stage 2 Meaningful Use criteria. Dentists will likely be able to apply exclusion clauses to many objectives, but each dentist must determine whether he or she meets the exclusion criteria for each applicable objective.

• Stage 1: 13 of 25 objectives have exclusion criteria. • Stage 2: 20 of 23 objectives have exclusion criteria. • Beginning in 2014, exclusions will not count toward meeting menu objectives if there are other menu objectives the EP could select.

Dentists who wish to meet Meaningful Use requirements will be eligible to do so by either:1. using an ONC-ATCB Certified EHR

that includes EDR functionality or2. using an EDR in conjunction with an

ONC-ATCB Certified EHR.

Medicaid EHR Incentive Program

In Year 1 of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, EPs must only adopt, implement or upgrade certified EHR technology.

Medicaid EHR Incentive Program

• Year 2: EPs must demonstrate Meaningful Use for 90 continuous days.

• Years 3 – 6: EPs must demonstrate Meaningful Use for a full year.

• Access a free recorded webinar, “Dentists and Meaningful Use”• Download a free Meaningful Use White Paper• Access resources on Stage 1 and 2 criteria in our Meaningful Use Resource Center

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