Proposed Rule: More Flexibility with Certified EHR Technology; Stage 2 Extension

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology have issued a proposed rule, published in the May 23, 2014, Federal Register, that would give eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals more flexibility in meeting meaningful use criteria for electronic health records (EHRs), according to a May 20, 2014, CMS press release. The proposed rule would let providers use 2011 edition certified EHR technology or a combination of the 2011 and 2014 editions for the 2014 EHR reporting period for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs. Beginning in 2015, all eligible hospitals and professionals would still be required to report using 2014 edition certified EHR technology. The proposed rule would also formalize the agencies' previously stated intention to extend stage 2 through 2016 and begin stage 3 in 2017.