Articles and Blogs

CMS announced last week that it is extending the deadline for eligible professionals to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (“EHR”) Incentive Program 2013 reporting year from 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2014 to 11:59 PM ET March 31, 2014.  This extension will allow more time for eligible professionals to submit their meaningful... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published important payment adjustment information this week for health care providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program (“Incentive Program”). Eligible Professionals (“EPs”) participating in the Incentive Program may be subject to payment adjustments beginning January 1, 2015. CMS will determine the payment adjustment based on meaningful use data submitted prior... READ MORE

Executive Summary On December 27, 2013, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) published final rules that amend regulations commonly known as the “EHR Donation Regulations.”  The EHR Donation Regulations consist of an exception to the physician self-referral law (Stark) (42 CFR 411.357(w)) and a safe harbor... READ MORE

Regulations to extend the exception from the Stark Law and safe harbor from the Anti-Kickback Statute for the donation of electronic health records (“EHRs”) have been cleared by the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) and will be published on December 27.  The relevant provisions of the amendments are: (1) the exception/safe harbor for... READ MORE

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”) has announced a webinar regarding the proposed regulatory timeline for electronic health record (“EHR”) certification criteria for 2015.  The webinar will take place on Wednesday, December 18 at 4:30 PM and is scheduled to last 30 minutes.  You can register here. If you... READ MORE

CMS has indicated that it intends to extend Stage 2 of meaningful use attestation under the Medicare/Medicaid Electronic Health Record (“EHR”) Incentive Program.  In a recent blog post, CMS states that the new or modified Stage 3 requirements for becoming a meaningful user of a certified EHR technology will not be effective until 2017... READ MORE

The FCC has opened the comment period on three Rural Health Care Program participants’ appeals of Universal Service Administrative Company decisions denying Healthcare Connect Fund (“HCF”) support for Illinois Rural HealthNet, Colorado Telehealth Network and Oregon Health Network (see our previous blog post on the subject). At issue is whether health care provider service locations that are urban,... READ MORE

The Oregon Health Network (“OHN”) has appealed to the FCC an adverse ruling by USAC regarding whether health care provider service locations that are urban, but are not licensed bed hospitals (or other eligible entities), will qualify for funding under the Healthcare Connect Fund (“HCF”). The determination of this issue will clarify whether the scope... READ MORE

This month, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced it is redefining the 2014 certification criteria for Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (“CEHRT”) for the Meaningful Use Incentive Program. The previous 2011 CEHRT criteria required that eligible providers have complete CEHRT capable of meeting all certification criteria for an inpatient or ambulatory... READ MORE

If you are facing a meaningful use audit, you are not alone.  Medicare private contractors are out in force as they carefully review supporting documentation for a meaningful use attestation.  Providers who are utilizing a certified electronic health record (“EHR”) technology may find surprising challenges as they attempt to extract necessary information from the... READ MORE