FL pilots EMR for Medicaid recipients

The state of Florida has begun a pilot test under which it's checking out the idea of rolling out an EMR for all of its Medicaid recipients. The project, which (as far as we know at FierceHealthIT) is among the first of its kind in the U.S., comes as part of an 87-month, $308 Medicaid systems update being conducted by IT contractor EDS. If the current regional rollout goes well, the state plans to expand the EMR effort statewide.

Florida officials are beginning the effort by populating MRs for each Medicaid beneficiary in the Tallahassee-Leon County area with claims data. In the future, the records will also hold lab and radiology results as well as other clinical information. 

To make sure the EMR doesn't become an information island, state officials have asked EDS to make sure the EMR data will be compatible with the region's Big Bend Regional Health Information Organization. It will be interesting to see if this approach--which uses the power of Medicaid to demand interoperability for health records--will give Florida a leg-up in creating an integrated statewide RHIO.

To learn more the EMR project:
- read this Government Health IT article

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