The new Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is a part of the Economic Stimulus Package that hasn't gotten much press or led to much controversy, but for health care professionals, it's one of the most important sections.

HITECH gives incentive funding -- up to $44,000 in the first year for providers who get started quickly -- for setting up electronic records systems and for using them. In brief, the act provides that medical practices  using electronic record-keeping "in a meaningful way" by 2011 will receive these incentives.

Why would the U.S. government be willing to pay medical offices to move toward paperless office systems?

In a congressional report a few years ago, it was estimated that the U.S. health system overall could save $36 billion each year by shifting to electronic recordkeeping. This is an enormous savings not from cutting services, limiting individual choice, or even hoping for an increase in personal responsibility in health-related behaviors, but simply from updating office procedures to a system that's better in many ways for both patients and workers. With the U.S. health care industry facing many tough choices, it's nice to see an easy one.

The first round of incentives begins in 2011, but in 2015 the disincentives begin - providers who aren't using electronic systems will begin receiving payment reductions on Medicare reimbursement.

The key is for providers to begin using electronic office systems now. In order to be using these systems in a meaningful way by 2011, it makes sense to go ahead and establish electronic systems now. Onsharp's SmartPay is a great place to begin. An economical, easy to use e-billing solution, SmartPay will be one of the easiest changes your office has ever tried. You can upload patient information from your current database to get started. With no software purchases to make and no special hardware or new skills required, you can have the system in place and in use quickly. Most offices -- medical or not -- will find that using SmartPay is a cost-saving measure. Medical offices in many states will receive upfront state funding to subsidize the costs of changing to electronic systems, and mhealth care professionals nationwide will then be eligible for payments rewarding meaningful use of these systems. Cost is simply not a factor in the switch -- except in the sense that failing to switch can cost your practice money.

Contact SmartPay today to see how well SmartPay can work for you.