As most of you probably know, Meaningful Use is rooted in the HITECH act. If you don't already know or understand the HITECH act, here is a "snippet" from Health and Human Services website:

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law on February 17, 2009, to promote the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.  Subtitle D of the HITECH Act addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information, in part, through several provisions that strengthen the civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules.  

HITECH act allows for financial incentives for EHR use. The goals behind these incentives include the desire by the U.S. Government to have an efficient and centralized National Health Information Network and better quality care for patients. 

To qualify for government's financial incentives, the practices need to demonstrate meaningful use and purchase and use of a government certified EHR system. Physicians must meet all meaningful use requirements to qualify for incentives from the government. 

See more info here at CMS.gov