The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Andy Slavitt and The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC )head Dr. Karen DeSalvo have posted a blog to the CMS website titled, “EHR Incentive Programs: Where We Go Next.”
Mr. Slavitt had previously stated (on January 12) “We are now in the process of ending meaningful use and moving to a new regime, culminating with the MACRA implementation. The meaningful use program as it has existed will now be effectively over and replaced with something better.”
The media largely focused on the second sentence, ignoring the context and failing to point out that changes to the MU program were already enacted last year under MACRA and under the modified Stage 2 rules. However, NextGen Healthcare pointed out that, prior to Slavitt’s remarks, it was already broadly understood that MU was to undergo changes.
The new CMS blog post clarifies the meaningful use program is not ending. Rather, as a result of the MACRA law, the financial penalties tied to performance in the MU program are being rolled into the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), where MU will be one of four factors that will contribute to a performance score for providers. The score will then be used to adjust payments to providers.
Most importantly, the blog specifically acknowledges that “current law requires that we continue to measure the meaningful use of ONC Certified Health Information Technology under the existing set of standards.”
CMS is currently writing regulations for implementing MIPS. These regulations will likely include some changes to the future MU reporting requirements. NextGen Healthcare will monitor the rulemaking process and keep clients informed with respect to future regulations.
In the meantime, it is essential that clients stay focused on the February 29 attestation deadline for 90 days of meaningful use in 2015 while taking all required steps to achieving a full year of meaningful use in 2016.