Hospitals now have until March 14 to submit data for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability and Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) programs.

America's Essential Hospitals urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement its Medicare disproportionate share hospital payment methodology and quality measurement programs in a way that accounts for the unique needs and patient populations served by essential hospitals.

Medicare-eligible hospitals have until July 1 to apply for exception—and avoid a negative payment adjustment—for the 2019 payment adjustment year.

The new proposed IPPS rule for FY 2019 contains numerous policy and payment changes, including increasing net inpatient payment rates by 1.75 percent.

Hospital staff participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program will learn how to register, attest, and submit measures using the QualityNet Secure Portal.

The document explains hospital payment adjustments under the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; adjustments are applied as a reduction to the hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System percentage increase for FY 2018.

The change aims to simplify data reporting for hospitals, as most already use the QualityNet portal for communications and quality data exchange.

The update for the 2018 performance year aligns electronic clinical quality measure specifications with current clinical guidelines and code systems.

Hospital participation in Medicare value-based programs in 2015, including ACOs and bundled payments, was associated with 2,377 fewer readmissions and $32.7 million in savings.

Eligible hospitals and professionals now have until March 13 to attest to the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program.

Under the rule, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology now can conduct direct surveillance of certified health information technology.

Hospitals and eligible professionals now can register to submit National Health Care Survey data in 2017.

Providers have until July 1 to apply for a hardship exception to avoid a penalty for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program.

Hospitals, providers can claim exclusions for public health meaningful use measures to avoid inadvertent penalties from the 2015 EHR Incentive Program final rule.

Agency's decision to extend deadline to July 1 gives eligible hospitals an additional three months to file for an exception.

Eligible hospitals now have until March 11 to show meaningful use of EHR technology or face a Medicare payment adjustment in 2017.

New, streamlined process requires less information from hospitals for application; deadline to apply is April 1.

CMS now able to grant categorical exceptions to essential providers and hospitals that did not meet 2015 requirements; hospital applications due April 1.

Budget deal includes a $3 billion funding increase for the NIH and $300 million for the CDC.

CMS website includes information on changes to Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs in recent final rule.

Eligible hospitals have until Dec. 31 to submit data through QualityNet for the Inpatient Quality Reporting and Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive programs.

In three FAQs, agency provides guidance on how to attest to health information exchange and patient electronic access measures, as well as objectives that require patient action.

In an FAQ, CMS offers alternate exclusions for newly finalized measures in the public health reporting objective that were not previously required or are unfeasible to implement in 2015.

Key provisions in the final rule include calendar year reporting, 90-day reporting period in 2015, and details for stage 3 meaningful use requirements.

In its Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap, ONC presents an action plan that will move the health care system toward the free exchange of health information to improve the provision of health care.

The rule finalizes proposals from the stage 3 proposed rule and the proposed rule modifying the programs from 2015 to 2017. Changes include a 90-day reporting period, fewer hospital objectives, and a lower threshold for patient electronic access.

Updates cover exclusions for submitting electronic immunization data and applicability of submitting summary of care documents for transferring patients.

GAO report identifies these challenges and reviews nonfederal initiatives to overcome them. Some of the initiatives suggest that criteria for EHR certification in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs isn't sufficient for interoperability.

Providers may be exempt from a payment adjustment for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs if they switch certified EHR technology vendors or their vendor is decertified during the program year.

America's Essential Hospitals joins other associations in calling for final action on a 90-day reporting period for 2015, but warns that the delay in a final rule has made other requirements impossible to achieve.

Updated guidance clarifies what codes will be accepted by CMS during one-year grace period, including examples of a code family.

Agency says that for one year it will not deny inaccurate claims as long as the code listed is from the correct code family.

Previously, hospitals reporting for the first time had to wait until Jan. 1, 2016 to attest. Hospitals will report for a 90-day period using 2014 stage 1 requirements.

In comments to CMS, America's Essential Hospitals also urged the agency to finalize a 90-day reporting period for all providers in 2015 and lower the threshold of the patient electronic access measure.

In comments on the agency’s proposals for stage 3 of the EHR Incentive Programs, the association called on CMS to delay finalizing the proposed rule and to provide much-needed flexibility for providers in the program.

The call will discuss updates to electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) used in quality reporting programs and the impact of their implementation for providers and quality leaders.

CMS suggested changes to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for 2015 through 2017 reporting, including reporting on a calendar year schedule, 90 day reporting periods, and uniform meaningful use objectives in 2015.

The rules detail requirements for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, including a requirement for all providers to transition to stage 3 by 2018.

Hospitals that did not meet reporting requirements in 2014 and do not receive exception could face smaller IPPS payment increases in 2016

Changes to the rule will include shortening the reporting period for eligible hospitals and professionals to 90 days

Hospitals must prove meaningful use in 2014 to receive a 2014 incentive payment and avoid a 1 percent payment adjustment in 2016.

FAQ clarifies that qualifying summary of care documentation may be transmitted through a third party, as long as it is created using CEHRT and transmitted through CEHRT capabilities or using an eHealth Exchange participant

Eligible professionals and hospitals can claim a hardship exception for not demonstrating meaningful use of CEHRT. Applications are due Nov. 30.

Hospitals will be chosen for pre and postpayment audits at random or through a risk profile. CMS encourages hospitals to keep data for six years.

CMS clarifies that for measure 2 of the summary of care objective, transitions of care involving a third party can be used when certain requirements are met.

The association joined a letter to HHS asking for a 90-day EHR reporting period for FY 2015.

ONC issued a final rule including 10 optional criteria and 2 revised criteria for the 2014 edition EHR certification criteria. The goal is to reduce regulatory burden, increase flexibility, and enhance EHR interoperability and information exchange.

CMS and ONC finalize extension of stage 2 meaningful use requirements and give providers flexibility for reporting via 2011 or 2014 certified EHR technology.

Health IT Policy Committee Meaningful Use Workgroup seeks input from users on meaningful use experiences to help optimize stage 3 requirements. The group is accepting comments on a recent blog post.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology released a proposed rule May 20 delaying stage 2 meaningful use implementation and adding flexibility for Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.

America’s Essential Hospitals would like to hear from its members on their experiences and difficulties with stages 1 and 2 so that we can convey any concerns to CMS and the HIT Policy Committee as they finalize stage 3 recommendations.

CMS officials will how stage 3 will affect care delivery. Other topics include administrative simplification, alignment of electronically specified quality measures, and information governance for health care.

The report identified a total of 17 domains that should be considered for inclusion in all EHRs. These domains are related to sociodemographic factors, psychological factors, behavioral factors, individual-level social relationships and living conditions, and neighborhoods and communities. IOM will release a phase 2 report that will recommend specific measures.

CMS released new tools for hospitals participating in stages 1 or 2 of the EHR incentive programs. The tools are a 2014 stage 1 changes tip sheet, a stage 2 calculator, and a batch reporting method guide.

As part of the meaningful use program, participating hospitals must report data for eCQMs that cover three of six National Quality Strategy domains. The original eCQM specifications were released in 2012 and are updated annually.

Beginning Oct. 1, hospitals to face fiscal year 2015 penalties for failing to demonstrate meaningful use of electronic health records by July 1, 2014. Hospitals encountering obstacles beyond their control may apply for a hardship exception.

The updated FAQ will help providers calculate ED admissions for meaningful use measures. CMS also released new FAQs that cover reporting information related to clinical quality measures, meaningful use objectives requiring patient action, and transition of care in the summary of care objective.

Providers will avoid 2015 penalties for failing to meet 2014 requirements due to hardships. Specific hardships are lack of availability of 2014 certified technology, lack of time to update current products, and lack of ability to incorporate stage 2 requirements into workflows.

America’s Essential Hospitals asked HHS to extend provider timelines to meet EHR program requirements. The association, along with nearly 50 other provider groups, said that providers need more time to safely and accurately meet software requirements. They also said that adding flexibility to MU requirements would help providers achieve success in the program.

CMS and ONC have introduced the Randomizer for providers demonstrating stage 2 of meaningful use in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. The Randomizer allows hospitals and professionals to exchange data with a test EHR.

CMS is allowing hospitals to retroactively attest to meaningful use of EHR technology as part of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. Eligible hospitals that previously experienced difficulty attesting must contact CMS by March 15 to be eligible to receive incentive payments for the 2013 program year and avoid the 2015 payment adjustment.

Hospitals will have through FY 2016 to meet Stage 2 requirements

Standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for stage 1

The final rule modifies stage 1 meaningful use criteria for hospitals and eligible professionals

The ONC policy committee requested comments regarding stage 3 Meaningful Use criteria

Hospitals were urged to attest that they have meaningfully used certified EHR technology

Groups say small and rural providers might not have enough time to implement changes