National Health IT Coordinator Farzad Mostashari, MD, said he supports a delay of stage 2 of meaningful use, per the suggestions of the Health IT Policy Committee, according to a Government Health IT report.
Dr. Mostashari said delaying stage 2 to 2014 may encourage more providers to attest to meaningful use this year, but those who have already attested should still be rewarded. He also said the time between the original start of stage 2 and the release of the final rule detailing the required measures could have been "infeasible, and therefore could have a detrimental effect on keeping providers on the meaningful use escalator," the report said.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plan on releasing proposed rules for meaningful use of electronic health records by the end of this year or early 2012 and will complete the rules in the summer of 2012 after accepting public comments, the report said.
Dr. Mostashari said giving providers and vendors more time can make those rules and requirements for stage 2 more rigorous than if stage 2 began in 2013 as originally designed, the report said.
Read the Government Health IT report on Dr. Farzad Mostashari and stage 2 of meaningful use.
Related Articles on Meaningful Use:
AHA Pushes HHS to Address Meaningful Use, EHR Incentives
Stage 2 of Meaningful Use Projected to Stay in Line With Policy Committee Measures
CMS Continues to Send Meaningful Use Bonuses
Dr. Mostashari said delaying stage 2 to 2014 may encourage more providers to attest to meaningful use this year, but those who have already attested should still be rewarded. He also said the time between the original start of stage 2 and the release of the final rule detailing the required measures could have been "infeasible, and therefore could have a detrimental effect on keeping providers on the meaningful use escalator," the report said.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plan on releasing proposed rules for meaningful use of electronic health records by the end of this year or early 2012 and will complete the rules in the summer of 2012 after accepting public comments, the report said.
Dr. Mostashari said giving providers and vendors more time can make those rules and requirements for stage 2 more rigorous than if stage 2 began in 2013 as originally designed, the report said.
Read the Government Health IT report on Dr. Farzad Mostashari and stage 2 of meaningful use.
Related Articles on Meaningful Use:
AHA Pushes HHS to Address Meaningful Use, EHR Incentives
Stage 2 of Meaningful Use Projected to Stay in Line With Policy Committee Measures
CMS Continues to Send Meaningful Use Bonuses