To participate successfully in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs in 2016, providers must be in active engagement with a public health agency. Eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must submit electronic public health data using certified EHR technology (CEHRT), except where prohibited and in accordance with applicable law and practice.
2016 Public Health Reporting Requirements
The public health reporting objective for 2016 includes three measures for EPs, and four measures for eligible hospitals and CAHs. EPs must attest to any combination of two measures, and eligible hospitals and CAHs must attest to any combination of three measures.
- Measure 1: Immunization Registry Reporting
- Measure 2: Syndromic Surveillance Reporting
- Measure 3: Specialized Registry Reporting
- Measure 4: Electronic Reportable Laboratory (ELR) Results Reporting (eligible hospitals and CAHs only)
Please note: providers may report to more than one specialized registry and may count specialized registry reporting more than once to meet the required number of measures for the objective.
Exclusions and Alternate Exclusions in 2016
There are multiple exclusions for each of the public health reporting measures in 2016. For a complete list, see the Public Health Reporting specification sheets for EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs.
Providers may claim an alternate exclusion for the Public Health Reporting measure(s) that might require the acquisition of additional technologies they did not previously have or did not intend to include in their activities for meaningful use.
Providers may claim an alternate exclusion for:
- Measure 2 – Syndromic Surveillance Reporting (EPs)
- Measure 3 – Specialized Registry Reporting (EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs)
Centralized Repository
CMS is developing a centralized repository for public health agency and clinical data registry reporting to assist providers in finding entities that accept electronic public health data. Registries can now declare their readiness to receive electronic data by completing the Centralized Repository for Public Health Agencies and Clinical Data Registry Reporting Input Form.
For More Information
To learn more about the public health objective in 2016, including how to be in active engagement and how to determine a specialized registry, review the Public Health Reporting in 2016 tip sheets for EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs.