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BALTIMORE, Md. and WASHINGTON, D.C. (Monday, October 6, 2008) – Applications are now being accepted from Maryland and Washington, D.C., physicians to participate in a new Federal initiative to encourage the use of electronic health records (EHRs) among small and medium-sized primary care physician practices.  The demonstration project, under the auspices of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and a group of regional health care organizations, will offer incentives of up to $58,000 per physician or $290,000 per practice for implementing and successfully integrating electronic health records into their patient care services.

This effort is being led regionally by the Maryland/DC Physician EHR Demonstration Collaborative; comprised of the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC); MedChi-The Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), and the DC Medical Society (DCMS).  CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) is promoting the program to its network of physician providers.  

The Maryland/Washington, D.C., area was among 12 regions selected to participate in the five-year program designed not only to encourage adoption of electronic health records, but to demonstrate improvements in clinical quality measures. An estimated 3.6 million patients nationwide are expected to benefit through the effort. 

"The state's participation of this project is a result of Governor O’Malley’s aggressive leadership to improve the overall quality of health care in Maryland," said John M. Colmers, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  "Effective, widespread utilization of electronic health records holds great promise for improving the safety, quality, affordability and access of health care in Maryland and the District of Columbia."

To qualify for the program, practices must:

• Focus on the provision of primary care 
• Have 20 or fewer physicians
• Serve as the main source of primary care for at least 50 Medicare beneficiaries covered under the traditional fee-for-service program
• Agree to implement a certified electronic health record by the end of the second year of the program

"This is a significant project that may produce valuable insights into just how electronic health records can improve the delivery of primary care," said Stephen H. Johnson, MedChi's Interim Executive Director.  "Small practices that participate in the demonstration project may get additional financial support to implement electronic health records." 

The regional program is being conducted as a research project.  Accordingly, 200 physician practices are being recruited in the region; 100 will participate and be eligible for incentives while the other 100 practices will serve as a control group.  Enrollment in the program is currently underway and interested physicians can obtain the application and more information about the program at the MHCC web site. 

"Electronic health records are widely thought to be a key component in efforts to better serve patients and improve care," explained DCMS President Joseph E. Gutierrez, M.D.  "What's exciting about this program is that it's not just about installing new hardware or software.  It's designed to reward physicians for demonstrating how the technology can help them care for patients in their day-to-day practice."

As the region's largest health insurer, CareFirst has agreed to work with the Collaborative to promote the program to the nearly 9,000 primary care physicians in its networks in Maryland and the National Capital Area. CareFirst has been working to encourage the adoption of electronic health records through initiatives such as its CareFirst Quality Rewards program, through which physicians can earn up to 107 percent of standard reimbursement rates by incorporating quality measures and improvements such as EHRs into their practices.  

"We applaud the effort of the Collaborative to bring this demonstration project to our region," said Jon P. Shematek, M.D., CareFirst's Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.  "We've provided financial support for a number of electronic health record projects throughout the region and we are pleased that the Collaborative secured a spot for the region to participate in this important effort."

Twelve regions were selected for the program based on state-level government, physician, and insurer willingness to collaborate and expand the program.  Four regions were chosen to begin the project this year: DC-Maryland, Pittsburgh (PA), Louisiana and South Dakota.

Contacts:

Maryland Health Care Commission: 
Kathy Francis, 410-764-5590, cmsehrdemo@mhcc.state.md.us 

Maryland State Medical Society:
Debra Sciabarrasi, dsciabarrasi@medchi.org 

D.C. Medical Society:
K. Edward Shanbacker, shanbacker@msdc.org 

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield: 
Kevin Kane, 410-998-5822, kevin.kane@carefirst.com 

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