ASNC Signs on to Comment Letter Regarding Medicare Issues Standards for Stage 2
ASNC joined over 90 medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology and the American Medical Association, who provided comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed rule for implementing Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive programs. The letter explained the concern that the meaningful use and certification standards published in the Federal Register on March 7, 2012, might hinder physician participation in the program rather than encourage it. The authors believe that changes must be made to ensure higher physician participation rates in Stage 2, not to mention physicians’ overall adoption, implementation, and meaningful use of EHRs.
Chief among these recommendations is the notion that Stage 1 data should be used to inform Stage 2 requirements and then Stage 2 data should be used to inform Stage 3 requirements. Currently the plan is to roll out each stage after the next, without ample time to make revisions. The authors also recommend that measures for meeting meaningful use ought to include exclusions and have an appeals process. The authors agree that a good faith effort to meet measures in Stage 2 should count. Ultimately the comments detail the many ways in which the meaningful use program could be more reasonable, achievable, and better in its service of the physicians it intends to help. To learn more about the EHR Incentive Programs, please visit the CMS website.
Comment Letter Regarding Medicare Issues Standards for Stage 2
