New Medicare FAQ for CAHs

CMS Has Added an Important New FAQ for CAHs on Costs for Certified EHR Technology

We want to help keep you updated with information on the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. CMS has recently revised an FAQ with new guidance that discusses whether critical access hospitals (CAHs) in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can include costs for capital leases of certified EHR technology. Take a minute and review the new FAQ below. 

Question: Can a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) include costs to lease/rent certified EHR technology in the Medicare EHR incentive payment? 

Answer: Under the statute and the regulations, the CAHs EHR incentive payment shall only include reasonable costs for the purchase of certified EHR technology to which purchase depreciation (excluding interest) would apply. There are two types of lease agreements that a CAH may enter into to administer their EHR system… an operating lease or a capital lease. 

For the rest of this FAQ, visit the CMS FAQ system and search for it by FAQ number. Type in 3387 in the “FAQ # Search” box found at the top, left side of the FAQ page.  Choose the “FAQ #” option by clicking the circle and highlighting it in blue.

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