According to the CMS "Final Rule" summary:

Quote
For the first year for which an Eligible Provider applies for and receives an incentive payment, the EHR Reporting Period is 90 days for any continuous period beginning and ending within the year. A Payment Year equals a Calendar Year (CY).

So it would seem that the last day to begin the reporting period is October 3, 2011 (90 days prior to the end of calendar year 2011).

Also, from the timeline on the CMS EHR Incentive website, the last day for Eligible Providers (EPs) to register & attest for the 2011 Incentive payment is February 29, 2012.

The hospital newsletter may be referring to the EHR reporting period for hospitals, which follows the fiscal year 2011 (October 1, 2010 ? September 30, 2011).

John
Internal Medicine