CMS has released the final Inpatient Prospective Payment System rule for fiscal year 2018, which addresses important health IT issues.
Listening to the pleas of various advocacy groups, CMS will implement the 90-day meaningful use reporting requirement and allow additional flexibility in EHR adoption. Hospitals reporting measures related to clinical quality and meaningful use in the calendar year 2018 will be able to use the 2014 edition of certified EHR technology, the 2015 edition of CEHRT or a combination of the two.
"This final rule will help provide flexibility for acute and long-term care hospitals as they care for Medicare's sickest patients," said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. "Burden reduction and payment rate increases for acute care hospitals and long-term care hospitals will help ensure those suffering from severe injuries and illnesses have access to the care they need."
Health IT advocacy groups, like the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, have already announced their support for the rule change
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