Under the HITECH Act, Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments will be available to eligible professionals and hospitals when they adopt certified EHR technology and successfully demonstrate “meaningful use” of the technology in ways that improve quality, safety, and effectiveness of patient-centered care. CMS and the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) have announced that eligible professionals and hospitals may register for the Medicare EHR incentive program beginning on January 3, 2011. On that date, registration for the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program also will be available in select states (Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas), with additional states scheduled to launch their programs in subsequent months.