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What Is Attestation? The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth
Remember Edith Ann on “Laugh-In?” She ended her ruminations by declaring “And that’s the truth.” It’s a bit like the attestation that will be required by CMS for eligible providers to receive payments for showing meaningful use of EHR.
In 2011, CMS will not be prepared to accept feeds from certified EHRs, so the primary means of demonstrating meaningful use will be via an attestation through a secure CMS website. An attestation is a legally binding representation of the accuracy of the statement. Making a false attestation could be considered fraud under the Medicare/Medicaid programs.
The provider will need to supply the results of each of the measures, as well as the certified EHR in use. Payments will be made on a per eligible provider basis, not by practice. This means each EP will need to demonstrate the full requirements of meaningful use to qualify for the EHR incentive payments. Stay tuned to our blog for a list of the clinical measures that will need to be provided.
As of the date of this posting, CMS has not confirmed what form its attestation procedure will take. What is clear is that even small practices can take advantage of the meaningful use incentives CMS is offering by adopting cost-effective modular systems.
For the latest information about the EHR Incentive Program, check out the CMS Question and Answer database.