Podiatrists Rake in EHR Cash

An independent analysis of the first round of Medicare incentives paid to medical providers for using electronic health records indicates that about half of the payments went to providers for upgrading existing EHRs.

The findings, by iWatch News, an arm of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity, raised questions about whether the $27 billion set aside to compensate health care providers for buying and installing expensive EHRs will stimulate the economy. The incentive program is part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the administration's $787 billion economic stimulus plan. The multiyear EHR stimulus is included in the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which is part of the ARRA.

iWatch News analyzed the first round of payments -- $75 million in Medicare incentives disbursed to about 320 doctors and hospitals this May. Recipients demonstrated that they had met at least 23 of the 25 "meaningful use" benchmarks required under the program.

The organization interviewed about one-third of the practices and hospital chains that received the initial incentive payments. Of those, iWatch News reported, nearly half had installed their technology before the incentive program was announced. It was unclear whether those results were representative.

The analysis also showed that podiatrists were disproportionately represented among first-round recipients, at 12 percent, although they represent only 1.5 percent of Medicare practitioners.

In a second iWatch News article, Dr. James Christina, director of scientific affairs for the American Podiatric Medical Association, credited a "very directed effort" by the trade association to teach its members about health IT and how to meet meaningful use benchmarks.

iWatch News said it was able to contact seven of the 25 podiatrists who received incentives. Of the seven, five had implemented EHRs after the stimulus was announced.