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CMS Delays Stage 3 Reporting Requirements for Meaningful Use Until 2017



From CMA's December 16, 2013, CMA Alert

Late last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed updates to the electronic health records (EHR) incentive program timeline that extends stage 2 meaningful use for an additional year through 2016. That means that providers participating in the program will now not be required to start stage 3 until January 2017 at the earliest.

The goal of this change is two-fold: first, to allow CMS to focus efforts on the successful implementation of the enhanced patient engagement, interoperability and health information exchange requirements in stage 2; and second, to utilize data from stage 2 participation to inform policy decisions for stage 3.

While this is a welcome reprieve for most practices, this announcement does not impact the 2014 requirements for reporting meaningful use to avoid Medicare payment penalties in 2015. Beginning January 1, 2015, Medicare physicians who have not successfully attested to meaningful use of an EHR may incur payment penalties, as mandated by the HITECH Act. These payment adjustments are 1-2 percent of total Medicare charges in 2015, to 2 percent in 2016 and 3-5 percent in 2017 and beyond.

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