On April 10, 2015, CMS released a proposed rule that would shorten Medicare and Medicaid meaningful use attestation for eligible professionals and hospitals to a 90-day reporting period for 2015.

The highlights of the proposed rule are:

• Realign the reporting period starting in 2015 to allow hospitals to participate on the calendar year instead of the current fiscal year period
• Reduce the number of meaningful use objectives to improve advanced use of EHRs
• Remove redundant measures and those that have become widely adopted (Healthcare IT News, 4/10/15).
  • Potentially reduce the view, download, transmit requirement from 5% of eligible providers' patients to just one patient (Modern Healthcare, 4/10/15).

Proposed reporting period changes are:

• In 2015 and 2016, new meaningful use participants would be allowed to attest for any 90-day period within the calendar year
• For 2015 only, all eligible providers would be allowed to attest for any 90-day period within the calendar year regardless of their previous participation
• For 2015 only, all eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals would be allowed to attest for any 90-day period between Oct. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2015, regardless of their previous participation
• For 2016, all eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals who are first-time attesters would be allowed to attest for any 90-day period within the calendar year, while returning participants would use a full calendar year reporting period
• For 2017, all providers, regardless of their previous participation, would use a full calendar year reporting period as proposed in the Stage 3 proposed rule (Becker's Health IT & CIO Review, 4/10/15).

Please remember this is still a PROPOSED ruling change.  The comment period will end 60 days after Federal Register publication (published on April 15, 2015). This would mean a final rule would not be published until potentially July 2015.

If you have questions about how the proposed ruling changes may affect you, please contact Health Technology Services!  We are here to assist you!

Unfortunately, some providers were not able to attest in 2014 Meaningful Use due to alerts regarding inactive accounts or informational errors in the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) when in CMS EHR Registration.  Fixing these errors in PECOS can be a long process and take several weeks for approval.

Here are some CMS Useful Links on Medicare Provider Enrollment (PECOS)

• Medicare Provider Enrollment (PECOS) (scroll down the screen to see the Medicare provider Enrollment (PECOS) links)
• Registration, Attestation & PECOS Checklist

  

Why are healthcare organizations failing MU audits? 

 

Healthcare organizations are failing MU audits due to lack of compliant security risk analysis.  Here's what your organization needs to do to pass your MU audit.

• Stage 1 Core Objective.  Protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR technology through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities.
• Compliance Measure.  Conduct or review a security risk analysis in accordance with the requirements under HIPAA Security Rule and implement security updates as necessary.
• Stage 2 Core Objective.  Protect electronic health information created or maintained by the certified EHR technology through the implementation of appropriate technical capabilities.
• Compliance Measure.  Conduct or review a security risk analysis in accordance with the requirements, including addressing the encryption/security of data stored in CEHRT, and implement security updates as necessary and correct identified security deficiencies as part of the provider's risk management process.

Will the Value Modifier program Affect My Payments in 2017 if I do not report PQRS in 2015?