Four Major Insurers Announce Meaningful Use Incentives

On August 5, 2010, four major insurers announced meaningful use incentives.  Aetna, Highmark, UnitedHealth Group and WellPoint, at minimum, will align their pay-for-performance programs with federal meaningful use criteria.  In a joint statement, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Blumenthal, M.D., and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Principal Deputy Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, stated:

"...we are pleased and encouraged by today's announcement of significant initial steps by organizations across the spectrum of health care to support HITECH's goal of furthering the meaningful use of certified EHRs.  These entities include providers, payers and professional licensure bodies.  The individual programs announced today show both an appreciation of the challenges we face as well as initiative and creativity in applying the resources of these organizations toward meeting our goals.  The actions announced today are also built on the meaningful use structure, which provides alignment of our national efforts toward coherent technology adoption and toward improved health and health care goals."