Just before revelers welcomed the advent of a new year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) took the wraps off the latest stage of the American Recovery and Rebuilding Act (ARRA).
On Dec. 31, 2009, the organizations unveiled two interim final rules, which are open for a 60-day public comment period. The new rules address Health Information Technology (HIT): Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology, and Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Electronic Health Record Incentive Program. These are the most recent steps in ARRA, which included $19 billion to fund HIT, EHRs and Healthcare Information Exchanges (HIEs). The incentive-driven program, legislated under the Health Information Technology for Clinical and Economic Health (HITECH) Act, is designed to trim costs and improve accuracy surrounding patient care, records and medications.
The interim final rules are designed to further move along implementation of Medicaid and Medicare EHRs by identifying guidelines for "meaningful use" and "certification." To receive reimbursement for implementing EHRs, medical facilities and individual practices must demonstrate their systems meet these criteria which, to-date, have not been clearly defined.
CMS and ONC released the rules during a joint teleconference summarizing the content. During the call - which was chaired by David Blumenthal, MD, MPP and national coordinator for health information technology - Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare Management, discussed "Criteria for Meaningful Use" in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive program, and Cindy Mann, director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations, gave an overview of the incentive program. Read a summary of the incentive program in the Learning Center of Healthcare Software Review .
The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) will, most likely, be one of several certifying bodies. "Under a separate rule, HHS will recognize one or more EHR certifying bodies," said Blumenthal.