Feds Award More MU Planning Grants

Six more states will receive matching federal planning funds to implement programs to administer Medicaid incentive payments for meaningful use of electronic health records, bringing the total to at least 16 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is awarding the funds, authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. States with new grants include Colorado ($798,000), Mississippi ($1.47 million), Nevada ($1.05 million), North Carolina ($2.29 million), Utah ($396,000) and Wyoming ($596,000).

States and territories must submit plans for CMS approval before receiving matching funds. They will use the funds for such activities as analyzing the current status of health information technology, examining barriers to EHR adoption, establishing eligibility for incentives and creating a long-term state Medicaid HIT plan.

States that previously received funds include Alaska, California, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. More information is available at cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp#TopOfPage.

-- Joseph Goedert