CMS Announces Intent to Engage in
Rulemaking for EHR Incentive Program Changes for 2015
The lefts for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to engage in rulemaking
this spring to help ensure providers continue to meet
meaningful use requirements.
In
response to input from health care providers and other
stakeholders, CMS is considering the following changes
to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record
(EHR) Incentive Programs:
1.
Shortening the 2015 reporting period to 90 days
to
address provider concerns about their ability to fully
deploy 2014 Edition software
2.
Realigning hospital reporting periods to the calendar
year to
allow eligible hospitals more time to incorporate
2014 Edition software into their workflows and to
better align with other quality programs
3.
Modifying other aspects of the programs
to
match long-term goals, reduce complexity, and lessen
providers’ reporting burden
These
proposed changes reflect the Department of Health
and Human Services’ commitment to creating a health
information technology infrastructure that:
•
Elevates patient-lefted care
•
Improves health outcomes
•
Supports the providers who care for patients
While CMS intends to pursue these
changes through rulemaking, they will not be included
in the pending Stage 3 proposed rule. CMS intends
to limit the scope of the pending proposed rule to
Stage 3 and meaningful use in 2017 and beyond.
To read Dr. Conway’s blog on
this announcement, go to: http://blog.cms.gov/.
For more information about the EHR Incentive Programs,
please visit http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms.
|
