On 4/15/2015 CMS proposed significant simplifications to the Meaningful Use Stage 2 rules. For physicians, this provides significant relief from the complexities of Stage 2. Highlights include:
- For 2015, reporting period is changed to any 90 day period
- Stage 2 obligations restructured from 17 Core Objectives plus 3 of 6 Menu Set Objectives to a single list of 9 Core Objectives plus 1 Public Health Objective
- Restructuring eliminates 10 Stage 2 measures and simplifies 8 of the remaining measures
- Establishes a single set of measures, the Modified Stage 2 rules, for all providers in the period 2015-2017, with accommodations during 2015 for those who planned to attest to Stage 1
For more information:
- Download a Summary of the Stage 2 Objectives and Measures
- Download the Aurora Diagnostics Client Alert from 5/19/2015 with more details
- Access the complete rule published 4/15/2015 in the Federal Register by CMS
As of 5/19/2015 this remains a proposed rule. CMS announced its intentions to expedite finalization which would be July 2015 at the earliest. Most industry analysts expect that the a final rule will be finalized in that time frame that is similar to what is proposed.
Editor’s Note: Subsequent to the publication of this article, CMS has renamed the “Meaningful Use” programs and MIPS “Advancing Care Information” category to “Promoting Interoperability”.
