The current buzz on the nightly news is the Government's Economic Stimulus package called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that was recently announced.  While most of you dictate and there are some of you that are even still using paper charting, the stimulus package has been put in place to move you into an electronic medical record system (EMR) by 2011.  As matter of fact, The ARRA put aside over $20 billion dollars for specifically improving Health Care and Health Information Technology.  Modernizing our Health Care System was central to this landmark legislation.  This should not be new news.  As I have stated in previous articles, with the Executive Order 1335 signed by President Bush in 2004, it put in a process to get all of health care computerized by 2014.  The current economic crisis along with ARRA has made computerizing healthcare a priority.  So, now is the time you really need to get serious about making such changes in your practice.  If you have not seen any reimbursement repercussions yet, you will if you don't make the change to electronic records.
 
The doctors that have been paying attention to the news, going to conferences and speaking to consultants, etc. have to be thoroughly confused about the current stimulus package and what it means to them.  I have talked with many doctors recently that understand they need to move towards an EMR, however, some think they are going to receive a lump sum payment from the government this year.  Don't hold your breath. Because while there are incentives coming, you will have to make the investment in order to qualify for the incentive payments.   

 

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