CMS to match EHR funding in four states

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will grant Alaska ($900,000), Kentucky ($2.6 million), South Carolina ($1.48 million) and Wisconsin ($1.37 million) federal matching funds for electronic health records implementations.

According to CMS officials, matching state funding for EHR adoption is "another key step to further states' role in developing a robust U.S. health information technology infrastructure." CMS officials said EHRs will improve the quality of healthcare for citizens. The records make it easier for the many providers who may be treating a Medicaid patient to coordinate care. Additionally, EHRs make it easier for patients to access the information they need to make decisions about their healthcare. ARRA provides a 90 percent federal match for state planning activities to administer incentive payments to Medicaid providers.