Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems has received a civil investigative demand related to the company's adoption of EHRs and adherence to the meaningful use program, according to CHS' latest financial filing.
Under the meaningful use program, now called the promoting interoperability program, CMS distributed incentive payments to eligible providers for installing EHR systems and using them to engage patients and families and to improve care coordination.
In its financial filing, CHS said it is responding to a civil investigative demand related to its "adoption of electronic health records technology and the meaningful use program."
Federal and state authorities issue these types of demands to collect records and information related to ongoing civil investigations, including False Claims Act cases.
CHS declined to comment on the investigative demand beyond what is included in the financial filing.
EHR incentive payments grabbed the attention of federal regulators after HHS' Office of Inspector General released a report in 2017 that revealed Medicare made approximately $729.4 million in EHR incentive payments to medical providers who did not comply with federal requirements.
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