HIT Policy Committee Votes to Recommend Delay of Stage II Meaningful Use

July 6, 2011 – In January 2011, a draft of Stage 2 meaningful use criteria was released for public comment which concluded on February 25. The recommended Stage 2 objectives are heightened versions of Stage 1 measures and increases the number of capabilities that an EHR must have in order for providers to be eligible for the incentive program. Stage 2 was set to begin in 2013. 

The HIT Policy Committee (HITPC), a federal advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) on key policy issues related to EHR adoption and incentives, met on June 8, 2011 to discuss the Stage 2 requirements and public comments and voted in a 12-5 vote to delay Stage 2 until 2014.  This recommendation would make Stage 1 available from 2011 through 2013.

HITPC realized that without a delay in Stage 2 objectives, vendors and EPs who attested and qualified for Stage I MU in 2011, would not have enough time to acquire and upgrade their systems again in time to be ready for Stage 2.  The final rule for Stage 2 is slated for June 2012 giving vendors and providers only six months to advance to Stage 2, a window agreed by all that is too short to safely deliver and use the new Stage 2 functionality. Those who attest to Stage 1 for the first time in 2012 would continue to have the same expectations for meeting the Stage 2 criteria by 2014.

This recommendation for the delay will be forwarded on to ONC and CMS.  It is expected that CMS will generate a notice of proposed rule making for the Stage 2 objectives in the 4th quarter of this year. Following a 90-day comment period, CMS will analyze the public comments they receive and publish the Stage 2 rule in June 2012.  Stage 3 is currently slated to begin in 2015.

Tags: EHR, Meaningful Use