The extent to which recent large increases in hospitals’ adoption of EHR systems can be attributed to the HITECH Act of 2009 has been uncertain and debated. The following study used national hospital data to examine the differential effect of HITECH on EHR adoption among eligible and ineligible hospitals in the periods before and after implementation of the program. Annual increases in EHR adoption rates increased substantially among eligible hospitals, while ineligible hospitals experienced much smaller annual increases. Recent gains in EHR adoption can therefore be attributed specifically to HITECH, which suggests that the act could serve as a model for ways to drive the adoption of other valuable technologies.