On Friday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its long-anticipated notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for meaningful use Stage 3, under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The rule outlines what will be expected of providers under Stage 3.
At the same time, the Office of the National Coordinator for HIT (ONC) released a separate NPRM (2015 Edition certification criteria), a detailed set of requirements for certified EHR technology that will be needed to support providers in meeting Stage 3 Meaningful Use.
As anticipated, the proposed rules focus heavily on interoperability and health information exchange. The CMS proposal also makes strides toward simplifying the EHR Incentive Programs and introduces some flexibility for providers.
CMS and ONC have posted the proposed rules in the Federal Register, thus beginning a 60-day public comment period (ending May 29). As with previous NPRMs, NextGen Healthcare will submit feedback to CMS and ONC highlighting any concerns along with our suggestions for improving these rules for both providers and software vendors. We also encourage clients to learn about the rules and submit their own comments.
Please look for announcements from NextGen Healthcare in the coming days for upcoming webinars and other information on the proposed Stage 3 rules.
In the meantime, please review the press release and fact sheet from HHS for more information on the proposed Stage 3 rules and 2015 Edition certification criteria.