The California Medical Association (CMA) recently learned that the vendor in charge of the Medi-Cal electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments has experienced difficulties in recent months that have delayed over 1,400 payments to providers.

The vendor, Xerox, has been working diligently to solve payment issues and expects that all payments for 2011 will be made by February 25.

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Office of Health Information Technology (OHIT) has also received approximately 550 additional attestations for 2012 that are currently being reviewed. If approved by OHIT, they will be put into the queue for approval by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). After CMS approval they can expect to be paid within 45 days. Xerox has paid some 6,400 providers for 2011 who have adopted, implemented or upgraded certified EHR technology.

Physicians will receive an email from Xerox once their checks have been issued and it is at that time that you can officially attest for 2012. Attestation applications for 2012 must be submitted by March 31. Payments for 2012 attestations already submitted and approved will be made as early March 31. Beginning April 1, DHCS will only accept applications for 2013 payments.

For more information visit www.dhcs.ca.gov/provgovpart/Pages/dhcsohit.aspx or call Xerox’s EHR Program at (866) 879-0109.

Contact: CMA reimbursement help line, (888) 401-5911 or kmarck@cmadocs.org.