Registration for the Medicare Medicaid EHR Incentive program officially began on January 3rd, 2011. The federal government's HITECH Act was created to encourage the implementation of electronic health records (EHR) by offering incentive payments to physicians and hospitals. The incentives include up to $44,000 for Medicare providers and up to $63,750 for Medicaid providers who show "meaningful use" after implementing an EHR such as the Clinet Medical Management Suite. Below are some additional key dates that you should be aware of to ensure that you receive the maximum incentive payment:

• January 3, 2011 - Registration for for the incentives program begins for Medicare providers
• January 3, 2011 - States that are ready may launch their incentive programs for Medicaid providers
• April 2011 - Attestation for the Medicare EHR program begins
• May 2011 - Issuing of Medicare EHR incentives is expected to begin
• October 3, 2011 - Last day for eligible professionals to being their 90 day reporting period for calendar year 2011 to demonstrate meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive program
• December 31, 2011 - Calendar 2011 payment year ends for eligible professionals

For more information on how to register for the EHR incentives programs, visit the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website for step by step registration guides.