With MU Deadline Approaching, Feds Publish Useful Primer

It’s funny how deadlines can focus the mind. For example, healthcare providers who want to make the most financially of the HITECH incentives need to begin by the end of this year, and many providers still aren’t clear on the necessary steps.

At least that’s what federal policymakers past and present seem to believe, so in response a number of them, including ONC director Farzad Mostashari, have put together what, in our view, may be the clearest, most succinct attempt to date at explaining both Meaningful Use and the HITECH incentive program.

Published as a special article in the JAMA Archives of Internal Medicine, the article takes a step-by-step look at the background to HITECH, the overall goals of the program, and what providers must do in order to qualify for the incentives. In addition, most sections include a link to external websites --usually pages on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services site – which dig further into each topic...