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.
For information on these changes, please access additional information here.