Latest CMS Updates

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is the Federal agency under the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) which administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. The CMS EHR Incentive programs are currently open programs for eligible professionals and hospitals to receive incentive payment for participation. Checking in on CMS will be a regular weekly post to keep up with communication coming from CMS on information about these and other related programs.

July 3rd is an Important EHR Deadline for Medicare Eligible Hospitals and CAHs

July 3, 2013 is last day that eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) in their first year of participation of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can begin their 90-day reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Hospitals in their second and third years of participation must demonstrate meaningful use for the full FY. Also take note of these important dates for eligible hospitals and CAHs:

• September 30, 2013—Last day of the FY 2013, and the end of the reporting year.
• October 1, 2013—First day of FY 2014, and the start of Stage 2 for hospitals in their third or fourth years of participation.
• November 30, 2013—Last day to register and attest to receive an incentive payment for FY 2013.

EHR Incentive Program Hits Milestone

More than half of all eligible providers have been paid under the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. More than 50 percent of all eligible professionals and more than 80 percent of all eligible hospitals have received payment. Read the announcement with all the details.

National Provider Call: Stage 1 of CMS EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals: First in a Series 

Thursday May 30, 1:30-3 pm ET
This session will inform individual practitioners on the basics of Stage 1 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. Learn if you are eligible, and if so, what you need to do to earn an incentive. This is the first in a series of 6 National Provider Calls on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Other topics include: Stage 2, clinical quality measures, hardship exceptions, payment adjustments, and a discussion on certification by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Target Audience is professionals eligible for the Medicare and/or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. Details and Registration.

Mark your calendars for these upcoming NPCs. Registration will be announced:
Medicare and Medicaid Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals

• June 27; 2:30-3:45 — Certification
• July 23; 1:30-3 —Clinical Quality Measures
• July 24; 1:30-3 —Stage 2

Medicare Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals

• August 13; 1:30-3 —Hardship Exceptions
• August 15; 1:30-3 —Payment Adjustments

CMS is Accepting Suggestions for Potential PQRS Measures and Measures Groups through July 1

CMS will begin accepting quality measure suggestions for potential inclusion in the proposed set of quality measures in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) for future rule-making years. CMS is seeking a quality set of measures that are outcome-based and fall into one of the National Quality Strategy (NQS) Priorities domains where there are known measure and performance gaps. The measure gaps that CMS most wishes to fill include clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, care coordination, safety, appropriateness, efficiency, and patient experience and engagement.

Measures submitted for consideration will be assessed to ensure that they meet the needs of the Physician Quality Reporting Program. In addition, CMS encourages eligible providers to submit measures that do not have an adequate representation within the program for participation. When submitting measures for consideration, please ensure that your submission is not duplicative of another existing or proposed measure. Each measure submitted for consideration must include all required supporting documentation. Documentation requirements are posted on the Measures Management System Call for Measures web page. This Call for Measures runs from May 1, 2013 through July 1, 2013. Only those measures submitted in the provided format will be accepted for consideration.