If an area hospital has offered to help you purchase an electronic health record system, don't worry about missing out on the potential $44,000 incentive payment from the economic stimulus act. Even with financial assistance, you can still collect the full bonus if you are a "meaningful user" by January 1, 2011.

For example, Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago is helping 379 independent physicians at 103 practices in the Chicago area go paperless. Thanks to a relaxation of the Stark anti-referral law in 2006, Northwestern was able to sign a five-year agreement with the independent practices in which the hospital agreed to pay for 85 percent of the cost of EHR adoption, including up-front costs such as implementation and training, as well as assistance with the monthly fee.