​Regional Extension Centers Continue to Offer Providers Support

On Friday December 6, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a new timeline for the implementation of meaningful use for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.  Under the revised timeline, Stage 2 will be extended through 2016 and Stage 3 will begin in 2017 for those providers that have completed at least two years in Stage 2.

 

Additionally, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) proposed an approach for certification that allows ample time for developers to create and distribute certified EHR technology before Stage 3 begins.

The goal of these changes are two-fold: first, to allow CMS and ONC 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.

The phased approach to program participation helps providers move from creating information in Stage 1, to exchanging information in Stage 2, to focusing on improved outcomes in Stage 3. This timeline allows for program analysis of Stage 2 data to inform the improvements in care delivery outcomes in Stage 3.

According to the Government Accountability Office, professionals who received technical assistance from a Regional Extension Center in 2012 were 1.9 times more likely to receive an incentive payment than those who did not.  Regional Extensions Centers throughout the nation are prepared to continue supporting providers in their pursuit of quality care through the meaningful use of their electronic health records (EHRs).

Read the CMS blog.

For more information visit the EHR Incentive Programs Web site.