In an Aug. 6 letter to HHS, a coalition of eight hospital groups called for an immediate release of a final rule for modification to meaningful use requirements under the CMS EHR Incentive Program.
The letter — whose signatories include organizations such as the Chicago-based American Hospital Association, the Overland Park, Kan.-based Children's Hospital Association, the Washington, D.C.-based Federation of American Hospitals and the Washington, D.C.-based America's Essential Hospitals — states that the rule is overdue, given it will affect the current program year for meaningful use, and it will burden hospitals as they are required to attest to a fiscal year 2015 performance period ending Sept. 30, 2015.
"Failure to release a final rule in the immediate future would create significant hardships for hospitals and physicians," the authors wrote. "Widespread failure to meet meaningful use due to unrealistic regulatory requirements and insufficient technology will undermine hospitals' ability to use EHRs to improve care and involve patients in their care."