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7/19/2010
CMS and ONC Final Regulations Define 'Meaningful Use' and Set Standards for EHR

CMS and ONC Final Regulations Define 'Meaningful Use' and Set Standards for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program
On July 13, 2010, CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) announced two complementary final rules to implement the electronic health records (EHR) incentive program under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, the HITECH Act supports the adoption of electronic health records by providing financial incentives under Medicare and Medicaid to hospitals and eligible professionals who implement and demonstrate "meaningful use" certified EHR technology. The CMS regulations specify the objectives that providers must achieve in payment years 2011 and 2012 to qualify for incentive payments; the ONC regulations specify the technical capabilities that EHR technology must have to be certified and to support providers in achieving the "meaningful use" objectives.
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