CMS & ONC Issue Regs Proposing Definition of Meaningful Use and Setting Standards for EHR
The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) encourage public comment on two regulations issued on December 30, 2009 that lay a foundation for improving quality, efficiency and safety through meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The regulations will help implement the EHR incentive programs enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
A proposed rule issued by CMS outlines proposed provisions governing the EHR incentive programs, including defining the central concept of “meaningful use” of EHR technology.
An interim final regulation (IFR) issued by ONC sets initial standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology. Both regulations are open to public comment.
- The CMS proposed rule and fact sheets, may be viewed at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Recovery/11_HealthIT.asp
- ONC’s interim final rule may be viewed at http://healthit.hhs.gov/standardsandcertification
The Recovery Act established programs to provide incentive payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals participating in Medicare and Medicaid that adopt and make “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology. Incentive payments may begin as soon as October 2010 to eligible hospitals. Incentive payments to other eligible providers may begin in January 2011.
No Final Definition of EHR Meaningful Use until Spring of 2010
We’ve been anxiously awaiting a final definition for “meaningful use” of electronic health records (EHR) to determine which hospitals and providers will be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. However, in a press conference on August 20th, Dr. David Blumenthal, the national coordinator for health information technology, predicted that the final definition will not be available until the middle or end of spring in 2010. A preliminary definition of “meaningful use” is scheduled to be issued by the end of 2009 with a 60-day comment period.
Hospital Incentives Under Economic Stimulus Package
Prepared by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), here are some of the estimates of what could be paid in Medicare incentive payments from 2011 to 2014 for hospitals meeting the yet-to-be-determined “meaningful use” standards of electronic health records under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:
- 75-bed hospital, up to $3.5 million
- 250-bed hospital, up to $5.7 million
- 750-bed hospital, up to $11.2 million
Obama signs ARRA Today
President Barack Obama, today, signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, H.R. 1. The legislation provides $19.2 billion for health IT to help stimulate the economy, increase investment in health IT, build a strong IT infrastructure for healthcare, and expand job growth.
As reported by HIMSS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is intended to achieve widespread adoption of health IT and enable electronic exchange of health information. The Act offers incentives through Medicare and Medicaid to reward providers for demonstrating the “meaningful use” of certified EHR technologies. The Medicare incentives for eligible professionals become available beginning 2011 and for eligible hospitals FY11 and are available only to those providers that demonstrate use of certified EHR technology as defined by the Act. Beginning in 2015 (eligible professionals) and FY15 (eligible hospitals) the incentives end, and eligible professionals and hospitals who are not “meaningful users” of EHR technologies will begin to see a reduction in their applicable Medicare percentage increase.