In the last few weeks, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued two new proposed rules for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs to align and merge the “stages” of meaningful use requirements to reduce complexity and to simplify providers’ reporting.
To accomplish these goals, CMS has proposed:
- reducing the overall number of objectives to focus on advanced use of EHRs;
- removing measures that have become redundant, duplicative, or have reached wide-spread adoption;
- realigning the reporting period beginning in 2015, so hospitals would participate on the calendar year instead of the fiscal year; and
- allowing a 90 day reporting period in 2015 to accommodate the implementation of these proposed changes in 2015.
As of March 1, 2015, more than 525,000 providers have registered to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. In addition, more than 438,000 eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) have received an EHR incentive payment. As of the end of 2014, 95 percent of eligible hospitals and CAHs, and more than 62 percent of eligible professionals have successfully demonstrated meaningful use of certified EHR technology.
What Can You Do?
CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) invite the public to submit comments on the recently released notices of proposed rule-making (NPRMs).
Due May 29:
- Stage 3 of Meaningful Use NPRM – Specifies the Stage 3 requirements for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals in the EHR Incentive Programs
- EHR Technology Certified to the 2015 Edition NPRM – Outlines the certification and standards to help providers meet the proposed Stage 3 requirements with EHR technology certified to the 2015 Edition
Due June 15:
- Modification to Meaningful Use in 2015-2017 NPRM – Proposes revised requirements for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals participating in the EHR Incentive Programs in years 2015 through 2017
How to Submit Comments:
The public can submit comments by following the links above and selecting the “Submit a Formal Comment” button in the upper right corner.
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