Healthy Perspectives – Winter 2013
It’s Time to Start Thinking About Stage 2 Meaningful Use
In August 2012, CMS released new “meaningful use” specifications that physicians must implement in their EHR systems to qualify for financial incentives. Meaningful use of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) is to be achieved in three stages. Providers that fail to do so by 2015 will see downward Medicare payment adjustments.
Those that attested to meaningful use first in 2011 must meet the Stage 2 criteria in 2014 and Stage 3 criteria in 2016. All other providers will be required to demonstrate two years at each stage. In the first year of participation, they must demonstrate meaningful use for a 90-day EHR reporting period; in subsequent years, providers will demonstrate meaningful use for a full-year EHR reporting period. So, how do you proceed? Read on.
Meeting core objectives
All providers must meet the core objectives. There are also a number of menu objectives that providers must select and satisfy in order to demonstrate meaningful use. Most of Stage 1 objectives are now core objectives under the Stage 2 criteria. Altogether, you’ll have to satisfy a total of 17 core objectives and three of six menu objectives.
The core objectives require physicians to perform tasks such as using computerized provider order entry for medication and lab orders, recording demographic information for 80% of patients, using clinical decision support to improve performance, and giving 5% of patients the ability to view their health information online.
Reaching menu objectives
The menu objectives require physicians to satisfy three of the following six objectives:
- Grant access to imaging results via CEHRT (10%).
- Record patient family health history for 20% of unique patients.
- Submit electronic syndromic surveillance data to public health agencies.
- Identify and report cancer cases to the state cancer registry.
- Identify and report specific cases to a specialized registry.
- Record electronic notes in patient records.
Physicians must also report on at least nine out of 64 clinical quality measures (CQMs). Those nine CQMs must come from at least three of the six health care policy domains from the DHHS National Quality Strategy. Last, CMS defined four hardship exceptions for doctors.
Abiding by the deadlines
Although the Oct. 3, 2012, deadline for beginning your 90-day reporting process to qualify for the full five-year Medicare incentive payment is long gone, you may still receive $39,000 in incentive payments if you attest to Stage 1 by the end of 2013. And then it’s time to get started on Stage 2.
If you fail to attest to Stage 1 by October 3, 2014, you will see a 1% reduction in payment for Medicare reimbursement in 2015, and for each following year that you fail to participate you will see an additional 1% reduction, all the way up to 5%.
Getting up to speed
Like it or not, Stage 2 is here. For the betterment of your patients and your practice, you must get up to speed on the new regulations as quickly as possible. View the meaningful use thresholds as the minimum acceptable performance — not your best performance — and try to far surpass the thresholds whenever possible. If you need help deciphering all these new rules, contact your health care advisor.
This material is generic in nature. Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should note date of publication and carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness, and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
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