Our Federal government keeps coming up with ideas to give all of us more money!!! At least that is what they claim. If you use certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) computer software and demonstrate meaningful use of that EHR, then you may qualify for up to $44,000.00 in bonus payments from Medicare. The bonus is NOT based on the cost of the EHR program. The amount of the bonus is determined by the amount of money Medicare pays you. Medicare sets the bonus at about 75% of what they normally pay you. So if your annual Medicare payment is only $1,000 you will get a bonus check for $750; if the payment is $25,000, your bonus check will be $18,000. Should you qualify for the maximum bonus each year for 3 years in a row, your bonus checks will total $44,000. 
In order to demonstrate meaningful use of your EHR system, you must utilize the Physicians Quality Reporting System (PQRS) codes. And according to the government, any doctor that uses the PQRS codes correctly will have his/her payments increased by 2%. This means that for every $100 you would normally receive from Medicare, you will get a total of $102 by using PQRS. It may not be a lot, but it is better in your pocket than staying with the government.
PQRS consists of codes that most of us have never heard of. There are CPT I codes, CPT II codes and G-codes. And each code must match up with something else on the claim form. That something else may be an ICD-9 code, a regular CPT service code, and/or some aspect of the patient’s demographics. Each PQRS code must have only one diagnosis pointer. And when PQRS is used, your CMS1500 must be completed in a very specific manner. 
The good news is that PQRS is being automated in some EHR systems. This programming development provides you with the benefits of PQRS without having to master every aspect of its technical requirements. However, you should make it a point to understand the concepts behind PQRS so that you will be able to respond to claims examiners or auditors when asked why you used it.
An example of the PQRS codes shows what needs to be reported regarding back pain. Back Pain Measures Group consists of 4 measure specifications:

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