Providers attesting to meaningful use in 2015 were permitted to submit attestations using a 90-day reporting period after a back-and-forth policy battle with CMS , which originally required providers to attest on a full calendar year. Now, a group of 34 provider organizations has asked CMS to extend the 90-day reporting period policy to 2016.
Currently, providers attesting to meaningful use in 2016 are required to submit a 365-day reporting period, but the provider organizations say the full year attestation period negatively affects providers' ability to successfully attest to the program and increases the likelihood they will have to rely on applying for a hardship exemption.
The 365-day reporting period presents myriad obstacles to successful attestation, including limited time for innovation or modifying products, reduced time and resources to improve interoperability and less time for providers to transition to the new Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act requirements, among others, according to a letter sent to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt.
The provider organizations write implementing a 90-day reporting period will help the industry move forward with positive momentum and better position providers to transition to the reoriented meaningful use program in 2017.
"In order to continue the momentum generated as a result of the changes made under the Modified Stage 2 — particularly since many of the rules are not expected to be finalized until much later this year — we strongly recommend CMS announce a 90-day reporting period as soon as possible which can be completed at any time during the year," reads the letter.
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