Health IT JumpStart: The Best First Step Toward an IT Career in Health Information Technology

Chapter 6

ARRA Funding

• ARRA background
• EHR adoption
• Funding for eligible professionals
• Funding and eligibility for hospitals
• Medicare incentives
• Meaningful use: Stage 1
• Proposed meaningful use objectives: stages

This chapter provides a high-level overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that is fueling the $27.3 billion investment in healthcare IT and covers the steps necessary to meet meaningful use of that technology. Meeting the promise of the capabilities of health information exchange will not be possible without well-trained IT professionals and technology vendors. Eligible providers (EPs) can receive $44,000 in Medicare incentive funds and $63,500 in incentives for Medicaid—but only if there are IT professionals ...