Drew Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Ark., may need to repay $904,000 it received in EHR incentive payments in 2011 and 2012 after the hospital failed a recent audit, according to a report in the Advance-Monticellonian.
The auditors found the hospital to not have met one of the requirements for incentive payments during its second year of attestation — having the appropriate security measures in its EHR system. Failing one of the 19 measures means Drew Memorial Hospital is responsible for giving back the incentive money, according to the report.
CEO Scott Barrilleaux told the Advance-Monticellonian because the hospital was an early attester, Drew Memorial Hospital didn't have the benefit of learning from other organizations that had successfully completed the attestation process. "When you're the youngest and you don't get to learn from other's mistakes, these things happen," he said. "We did a risk assessment in 2005 and then another one last year. What we didn't do was perform a risk assessment during the years outlined in the audit."
The hospital is appealing the decision, though Mr. Barrilleaux said the hospital has the money on hand to make the repayment and will report the amount as an expanded liability on this year's financial reports.
Mr. Barrilleaux told the Advance-Monticellonianhe doesn't think his organization is the last to be audited. "I've talked to a couple of other hospitals and while they have yet to be audited this apparently is likely to happen to others as well," he said.
More articles on EHR incentives:
Payment rules for non-MU eligible care facilities seek to tie reimbursement to EHR use
EHR Incentive Payments Near $25B
National Nurses' Union Calls for End of EHR Incentive Program