In a recent Tweet, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) stated: “Move into the 21st Century and check out the Privacy & Security 10-Step Plan before you implement an Electronic Health Record.” ONC makes the following recommendation to an Eligible Professional (EP) covered entity participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Financial Incentive Program for Adoption and Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Record (EHR) Technology: “An EP must meaningfully use certified EHR technology for an EHR reporting period, and then attest to CMS [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] that he or she has met meaningful use for that period. Start your 10-step process at…
Category: Meaningful Use
ONC Issues Meaningful Use Guide for Privacy & Security Attestation Compliance
May 9, 2012. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has issued a Guide to Privacy and Security of Health Information (Version 1.1 022312). This Guide is targeted to medical practitioners who participate in the Medicare and Medicaid Program for Adoption and Meaningful Use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology. Chapters are: 1. What Is Privacy & Security and Why Does It Matter? 2. Privacy & Security and Meaningful Use. 3. Privacy & Security Step Plan for Meaningful Use. 4. Integrating Privacy and Security into Your Practice. 5. Privacy and Security Resources. The Guide highlights two of the Stage 1 Meaningful Use Objectives and Corresponding Measures…
ONC Publishes Stage 2 EHR Technology Certification Criteria NPRM
On March 7, 2012, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published in the Federal Register its notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) entitled Health Information Technology: Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record [EHR] Technology, 2014 Edition; Revisions to the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology [pp. 13832-13885]. Comments to HHS may be made until 5 PM on May 7, 2012. The summary of the NPRM is included here: “Under section 3004 of the Public Health Service Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is proposing to revise the initial set…
CMS Publishes Stage 2 Meaningful Use Incentive Program NPRM
On March 7, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published in the Federal Register its 132-page notice of proposed rule making (NPRM): Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program–Stage 2. Comments to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may be made until 5 PM on May 7, 2012. The summary of the NPRM is included here: “This proposed rule would specify the Stage 2 criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet in order to qualify for Medicare and/or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments. In addition, it would specify payment adjustments under Medicare for covered…
HHS Extends Life of Temporary EHR Technology Certification Program
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a notice in the Thursday, November 3, 2011, Federal Register that extends the life of the “temporary certification program for health information technology” beyond its expected sunset date of December 31, 2011, to at least summer 2012. “We believe that the sunset of the temporary certification programs [ONC-Authorized Testing and Certification Bodies (ATCBs)] should be tied to the effective date of the final rule that we intend to issue in summer 2012, which is expected to adopt new and revised standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria for EHR technology in…
Permanent HIT Certification Final Rule Published by ONC in Federal Register
January 7, 2011. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) published today in the Federal Register the final rule for Establishment of the Permanent Certification Program for Health Information Technology (HIT), available online. This regulation is effective on February 7, 2011. According to the January 3, 2011, HHS News Release, “[t]he temporary certification program, established through a final rule published on June 24, 2010, will continue in effect until it sunsets on December 31, 2011, or at a later date when the processes necessary for the permanent certification program to operate are completed. ONC expects to stand-up the programmatic…
EHR Incentive and Certification Criteria Final Rules Published in Federal Register
The EHR Incentive and Certification final rules were published in the Federal Register this morning, July 28, 2010. HIPAA.com provides the title, summary, effective date, and URL for each below. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “42 CFR Parts 412, 413, 422, and 495; Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program; Final Rule, Federal Register, 75(144), Wednesday, July 28, 2010, pp. 44313-44588. Summary: This final rule implements the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)(Public Law 111-5) that provide incentive payments to eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs…
OMB Completes Review of Final Rules for EHR Incentive Program and for Initial Certification Criteria
On Friday, July 9, 2010, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed review of the two Final Rules: Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record (RIN: 0991-AB58) and Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program (RIN: 0938-AP78). RIN means Regulatory Identification Number, used to track a regulatory action through its development. These rules are on a fast track, follow on the heels of the June 24 Final Rule: Establishment of the Temporary Certification Program for Health Information Technology (75 Federal Register 36157-36209), and are expected to be available for prepublication inspection at the Federal Register imminently. For additional information and updates,…
Final Rules for EHR Incentives and Certification Criteria at OMB for Review
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received in early July for Executive Order (EO) 12866 Regulatory Planning and Review two Final Rules relating to electronic health record (EHR) incentives and certification criteria required under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) that was enacted on February 17, 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. On Friday, July 2, 2010, OMB received from the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for review Health Information Technology: Initial Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology; Final Rule. The Interim Final…
ONC Releases Final Rule for Temporary HIT Certification Program
On Friday afternoon, June 18, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the final rule: Establishment of the Temporary Certification Program for Health Information Technology. The final rule can be viewed in portable document format (pdf) online at: http://www.federalreigster.gov/…. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register, most likely next week, and will be effective upon date of publication. The summary of the final rule is reproduced here: “This final rule establishes a temporary certification program for the purposes of testing and certifying health information technology. This final rule is established under the…