ARRA News

Hospitals, providers urged to make Stage 2 preparations now

A Computer Sciences Corp. report outlining measures that could be included in the next stage of meaningful use suggests that the final rule governing Stage 2 is likely to reflect the same standards in Stage 1 but with higher thresholds. Eligible hospitals and providers should begin their Stage 2 MU efforts now, said Erica Drazen, the report's author, who expects that the Stage 2 recommendations of the HIT Policy and Standards Committees will be followed.

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States may get substantial power over health insurance exchanges

States will have leeway in determining who operates their health insurance exchanges and which health plans qualify for sale in the exchanges, among other state powers outlined in proposed guidelines unveiled July 11 by the Dept. of Health and Human Services.

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CMS Provides Answers for 15 More FAQs on Meaningful Use Issues

Federal officials have posted responses to 15 more frequently asked questions about the meaningful use program, with many new FAQs relating to critical access hospitals. CMS now offers 175 FAQs on meaningful use.

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CMS to allow provider MU attestation next year

The CMS announced it will let eligible providers attest that they have used electronic health records to obtain data on quality, and said it would develop a pilot program expected to pave the way for the online submission of data on clinical quality measures from EHRs. The decision to allow MU attestation in 2012 was prompted by the CMS being unprepared to receive quality data from providers via the Web.

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Bill would ensure EHR incentive parity for multi-campus hospitals

Reps. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Charlie Rangel (D-NY) on July 12 introduced the Equal Access and Parity for Multi-Campus Hospitals Act (H.R. 2500), American Hospital Association-supported legislation to ensure that multi-campus hospitals are treated fairly under the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health records incentive programs authorized in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Introduced with more than 50 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill specifies that the EHR incentive payments should go to each campus of a multi-campus hospital system, as long as each campus meets the meaningful use requirements.

Currently, hospital systems with multiple campuses organized under a single Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services certification number can only receive a single incentive payment. "This legislation is instrumental to delivering the promise of electronic health records to more Americans," said AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock. "And with integrated electronic health records will come improved patient outcomes and efficiencies in care delivery to support better health and health care."

Mostashari Supports Delay for Next Stage of Meaningful Use

National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari says he supports delaying Stage 2 of the meaningful use program by one year for health care providers attesting to Stage 1 this year. The delay is meant to give health care providers who attest to Stage 1 and health IT vendors more time to prepare for the next stage of the incentive payment program.

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CMS drafts standards for e-claims, eligibility transactions

CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick has unveiled an interim final rule meant to allow more efficient processing of inquiries related to the status of insurance claims and patients' eligibility for health plans. The rules, set to be released in the Federal Register on July 2 and based in part on standards already set by the Council for Affordable and Quality Healthcare's Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange, could help providers and insurers streamline their operations and cut costs, he said.

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