Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator, recently announced changes to overhaul the Meaningful Use EHR incentive program. Here are the major highlights:

• Meaningful use is being renamed “Promoting Interoperability”.
• In 2019, hospitals will be required to equip patients with access to their electronic health records on the day they leave the hospital.
• The proposed rule reiterates the requirement for providers to use the 2015 edition of certified electronic health record technology in 2019.
• The agency is proposing to remove 19 measures across the five hospital quality and value-based purchasing programs, as well as de-duplicate another 21.
• CMS is encouraging hospitals to be more transparent about their pricing by requiring them to post the cost of services online.
• It will emphasize measures that require the exchange of health information between providers and patients, and incentivize providers to make it easier for patients to obtain their medical records electronically.