What happens if hospitals do not demonstrate meaningful use by 2015?
By 2015, hospitals under Section 4102 of the ARRA that are not meaningful EHR users will have their Medicare reimbursement rate decreased by 1% per year up to a potential maximum penalty of 5%. By 2018, if the HHS Secretary determines that less than 75% of eligible health care professionals are using certified EHR systems, the Secretary has the discretion to further reduce Medicare fee schedule payments: first to 96% and then 95% in subsequent years, but penalties may not be increased beyond 5%.
