If you are an eligible hospital or critical access hospital (CAH), the last day you can register and attest to demonstrating meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program 2014 reporting year is December 31, 2014.

You must successfully attest by 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, to receive an incentive payment for your 2014 participation. CMS extended the deadline for eligible hospitals and CAHs to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program to allow more time for providers to submit their meaningful use data and receive an incentive payment for the 2014 program year, as well as avoid the 2016 Medicare payment adjustment.

CMS also extended the deadline for eligible hospitals and CAHs that are electronically submitting clinical quality measures (CQMs) to meet that requirement of meaningful use and the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program. Hospitals now have until December 31, 2014 to submit their eCQM data via Quality Net.

An update has been made to CMS FAQ 10754 extending the Security Risk Analysis completion date up to the date of attestation.

"For example, an EP who is reporting Meaningful Use for a 90-day EHR reporting period may complete the appropriate security risk analysis requirements outside of this 90-day period as long as it is completed no earlier than January 1st of the EHR reporting year and no later than the date the provider submits their attestation for that EHR reporting period." 

While the extension will be helpful to providers who are now able to attest to Meaningful Use using the Flexibility Rule in 2014, it is important to note that the Security Risk Assessment and Risk Management plan should be updated annually, after significant system upgrades or implementation of new HIT systems that use or store Protected Health Information (PHI) like a patient portal.

If you need a Security Risk Assessment for 2014 or 2015, please contact Health Technology Services to discuss service options.

Questions or Concerns?  Contact Susan Clarke at HTS or your HTS Health Technology Consultant.

The Medicare 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) uses a combination of incentive payments and payment adjustments to promote reporting of quality information by eligible professionals (EPs). It is for eligible professionals (identified on claims by their individual National Provider Identifier [NPI] and Tax Identification Number [TIN]), or group practices participating in the group practice reporting option (GPRO) who satisfactorily report data on quality measures for covered Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services furnished to Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries.

Specific reporting guidelines are identified to avoid the 2016 payment adjustment or are available to receive an incentive and also avoid the 2016 PQRS payment adjustment.  Eligible EPs and group practices that do not satisfactorily report or satisfactorily participate in the 2014 PQRS program year will be subject to a payment adjustment in 2016.