NYC pays primary care doctors to get EMRs, meet quality targets

New York City has begun a $60 million project under which it is heavily subsidizing EMRs for 1,000 primary care physicians in an effort to improve care and collect public health data. New York is trying to connect the majority of practices with 10 or fewer doctors, largely those in poorer neighborhoods.

The EMR system, designed for the city by eClinicalWorks, usually costs the typical doctor's office $45,000 to implement. However, New York is cutting that cost down to $24,000 through subsidies for practices with at least 10 percent of their patients on Medicaid or uninsured. In addition to financial subsidies, the city is also providing teams of trainers to assist with the transition.

The city will use the EMRs to collect public health data like disease frequency and the occurrence of substance abuse. Once the EMRs are in place, the city health department will begin offering doctors bonuses of approximately $100 per patient, or up to $20,000, if they meet goals like controlling blood pressure.

To learn more about the EMR rollout:
- read this piece from The New York Times

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