Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Feds May Delay, But The Market Won't Wait

Last November, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that eligible professionals (EPs)—but not eligible hospitals—who participate in the Meaningful Use (MU) Stage 1 incentive program in 2011 can now delay meeting the as yet unpublished new standards for Stage 2 until 2014 (see HHS Press Office news release, We Can't Wait: Obama Administration takes new steps to encourage doctors and hospitals to use health information technology to lower costs, improve quality, create jobs).

Meaningful Use standards are designed to get stricter over time, so the Stage 1 criteria that we are all familiar with requires EPs to demonstrate 20 of the 25 total measures that can demonstrate meaningful use – 15 core measurements and five from the set menu of 10 possible objectives (see Getting To Meaningful Use Payments Is A Matter of Math all members). Stages 2 and 3 of Meaningful Use will have greater requirements – exactly what those requirements are have yet to be released by CMS.

Before this announcement, 2011 adopters of Meaningful Use would have been required to meet the new Stage 2 criteria by 2013, while allowing 2012 adopters to meet the same criteria—and receive the same incentive payments—in 2014. HHS has indicated publically that they believe this difference in the time frame has induced many providers to become 2012 adopters, rather than 2011 adopters. The delay is designed to combat this by giving 2011 adopters more time to meet Stage 1 criteria before moving onto the more stringent Stage 2 requirements.

The major issue I see is, even if some EPs implement their electronic health records sooner in order to collect the additional payment, others will instead see this delay as motivation to delay their own implementation. In the current health and human services environment, delaying the adoption of this technology is not a viable option. If you have already committed to the process, the last thing this announcement should be seen as is an opportunity to relax that commitment.

If you are still dallying, this step by the HHS expands an otherwise shrinking opportunity. For a deep dive into our coverage of EHRs and MU see:

• Physicians Double Down On EHR Adoption all members

• Think Meaningful Use Doesn't Apply To You? Think Again all members

• Meaningful Use Overview: How to Prepare and Capture Incentive Dollars all members

• Stop Wasting Time all members

• A Meaningful Use Update: The Information You Need To Know premium members

• CMS Defines 'Meaningful Use' of Electronic Health Records premium members

• Meaningful Use: The Fine Print premium members

• A Meaningful Use Update: The Information You Need To Know premium members

If you already have your EHR implemented, the benefits of your early adoption can only increase, improving both your operations and enhancing your strategic decisions. Stay tuned as we continue our coverage of this unfolding development, and in the meantime put continued delay out of your mind.

Sincerely,
Joe Naughton-Travers, Ed.M.
Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

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For another free resource, see; The Many Routes to EHR ROI  all members 

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