CMS Releases Final Rules for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
On July 13, 2010, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of final rules for the Electronic Health Record Incentive Program called for under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009.
Eligible health care professionals and hospitals can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments when they adopt certified EHR technology and use it to achieve specified objectives. One of the two regulations announced today defines the "meaningful use" objectives that providers must meet to qualify for the bonus payments, and the other regulation identifies the technical capabilities required for certified EHR technology. Click here for the CMS press release.
EHR Incentive Program Resources
David Blumenthal on EHR Final Rules in the NEJMhttp://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=3732&query=home\
CMS: Fact Sheets on the EHR Incentive Program http://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/ONC: Fact Sheets on the Standards and Certification Criteria http://healthit.hhs.gov/standardsandcertification
Links to Final Rules via Federal RegisterEHR Incentive Program Final Rule
HIT Certification Standards and Criteria Final Rule
Policy Activity
MHPA and the Partnership for Medicaid Submit Comments on the Proposed Rules for the EHR Incentive Program for Medicaid Providers
On March 15th, MHPA and the Partnership for Medicaid submitted comments supporting the EHR Incentive Program proposed by CMS and offered recommendations to make the incentive program more accessible for Medicaid providers.
MHPA recommended that CMS:
- Simplify the meaningful use criteria to make it feasible for more Medicaid providers to participate in the incentive program
- Encourage states to create consistent definitions of meaningful use
- Provide further guidance on the role Medicaid agencies must play in determining provider eligibility and compliance in the EHR incentive program
- Provide clarification on rules for pass-through payments to Medicaid health plans for eligible providers and clarify the definition of entities promoting the adoption of certified EHRs
- Simplify and streamline quality reporting requirements
Click here to read the full letter
The Partnership for Medicaid recommended that CMS:
- Simplify the meaningful use criteria to make it feasible for more Medicaid providers and hospitals to be eligible for incentives
- Encourage states to create consistent definitions of meaningful use
- Provide additional requirements for state payments to eligible providers and hospitals
- Review the recommendations submitted by the Partnership for Medicaid member organizations
Click here to read the full letter
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