The HIT Policy Committee approved the revised recommendations from the Meaningful Use Workgroup presented at the July 16th meeting. They emphasize details on the 2011 goals in order to facilitate the milestone for incentive payments. The workgroup will continue to develop the details on the later years. The recommendations are now submitted to the ONCHIT and HHS. The Department of Health and Human Services will use the recommendations for guidance as they develop rules to implement the incentive program. The proposed rule is still slated for December of this year.
Some of the revisions and details for 2011 Objectives include:
- The objectives are now split for Eligible Providers and Hospitals.
- Incentives to be paid according to an adoption year timeframe rather than a calendar year. Qualifying for year one incentive payment would be assessed using the 2011 measures. The payment rates and phase outs would follow the calendar year framework.
- Electronic interfaces to receiving entities are not required in 2011.
- Providers will implement one clinical decision support rule relevant to a specialty or a high clinical priority, while hospitals will implement one clinical decision support rule related to a high priority hospital condition.
- Checking insurance eligibility electronically when possible.
- Submitting claims electronically to all payers.
- Providers will provide patients with timely electronic access to their health information (including lab results, problem list, medication lists, allergies), while hospitals will provide patients with an electronic copy of their discharge instructions and procedures at time of discharge, upon request.
The Committee also recommended that CMS withhold meaningful use payment for any entity until any confirmed HIPAA privacy or security violation has been resolved. And state Medicaid administrators should withhold meaningful use payment for any entity until any confirmed state privacy or security violation has been resolved.