The CMS and HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued their much-anticipated final meaningful-use technology regulations that hospitals and physicians must follow to become eligible for their share of the $27.3 billion in financial incentives as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Meaningful use criteria in the final rule have become significantly relaxed in comparison to what was originally proposed, although it is still comprehensive and will be a challenge to meet. National Coordinator for health information technology David Blumenthal, MD recognized the public outcry that the originally proposed standards were too ambitious.
Meaningful use criteria has moved from an all or nothing 25 measures to 15 core objectives and 10 “a la carte” measures from which an eligible provider would choose five to meet for year one implementation. The remaining five criteria would be deferred until year two.
The announcement included a reduction in four meaningful use achievement levels. E-prescribing of permissible drugs was reduced from 75% to 40%. Clinical decision support rules were reduced from implementing five to implementing one. Administrative requirements such as electronic claim submission and electronic insurance eligibility verification have been deferred to stage two. Lastly, reporting of clinical quality measures were reduced from the original 99 to 44 available measures with six required for reporting by eligible professionals.
It is expected that there will be more robust requirements in stages two and three.
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