CHIME: New Meaningful Use Rule 'All But Ensures Industry Struggles Will Continue'

Reporting. Providers have to do it for meaningful use and a new final rule that Health and Human Services published late Friday eases the matter for 2014 only to mandate that come 2015, participants must report the full year.  CMS said it used public comments and feedback from stakeholders to come up with ways eligible providers can use 2011 Edition CEHRT — or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CERHT — for an EHR reporting period in 2014 under either the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

All EPs will be required to use 2014 Edition CEHRT in 2015.  The rule also extends Stage 2 reporting through 2016 and starts Stage 3 in 2017 for providers who first attested to Stage 1 in 2011 or 2012.  The College of Health Information Management Executives, which represents hospital CIOs, expressed concern in a statement issued Friday that the 2015 reporting period would not be shortened to 90 days, as allowed this year.

“CHIME is deeply disappointed in the decision made by CMS and ONC to require 365-days of EHR reporting in 2015. This single provision has severely muted the positive impacts of this final rule. Further, it has all but ensured that industry struggles will continue well beyond 2014,” said CHIME CEO Russell Branzell in the statement...