Health Law Gurus

CMS Grants Eleventh Hour Extension for Attesting to Meaningful Use

Providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program now have an additional thirteen days to register and attest to meeting the meaningful use requirements for 2016. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has extended the reporting deadline until March 13, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. ET. This extension is intended to allow providers additional time to attest to the 2016 program requirements and avoid a 2018 payment adjustment.

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs provide financial incentives to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals who adopt, implement, upgrade, and meaningfully use certified EHR technology to positively affect patient care. The meaningful use of EHR technology is intended to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of health care, reduce health disparities, engage patients and their families in their health care, and improve population and public health.

Entities and professionals that qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs must choose in which program they would like to participate. Those providers that choose to participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program should refer to attestation deadlines in their particular state. The Medicaid EHR Incentive Program is administered voluntarily by states and territories. Information on Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance Health Information Technology Initiative can be found here. Information on New Jersey’s Medicaid EHR Incentive Program can be found here. However, entities and professionals who are eligible to participate in both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs must attest to meeting the criteria for one or the other to avoid a 2018 payment adjustment.

For more information on the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Inventive Programs, click here.