Latest reimbursement policy may eradicate need for Stage 3

Physicians and other eligible experts under the electronic health records (EHRs) meaningful use program were tasked to make important investments in EHRs; in huge part, they did under Stage 1. Stage 2 enforced tougher steps in EHR capabilities that much of the industry wasn’t ready for, and various contributors dropped out of the program.

Now, changes to Stage 2 muddy water waters; in part, they would ease reporting needs for eligible experts but also enforce various confusing new needs in a proposed rule released in the month of April and authorized by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of the year 2015, called as MACRA.

Stage 2 EHRs already have functions essential under MACRA to support accountable care and population health management. And Stage 2 as originally enforced already is hard to successfully complete.

Now comes Stage 3, which is voluntary for eligible experts beginning in the year 2017 but mandatory for the year 2018. Although, if the overall objective of Stage 2 was to assist contributors get better at accountable care and population health management, is Stage 3 overkill or does it have actual value?

Robert Tennant, director of health information policy at the Medical Group Management Association, considers Stage 3 is a non-issue.

That is because the latest Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) authorized under MACRA incorporates a number of Stage 3 needs to measure physician performance within the modified Stage 2 rule that has been proposed. Performance measures involve electronic prescriptions, enabling sufferers to view/download/transmit their electronic healthcare information, and secure messaging.

The big uncertainty for MGMA is whether there will be enough period for EPs and their vendors to prepare for changes to Stage 2 next January and the start of Stage 3 in the month of January or in the year of 2018. Normal processes for huge rules would have the final rule coming out in the month of November or December and MGMA members fear they may only have 1 or 2 months to comply with final rule needs, which Tennant contends is an impossible task.

Stage 3 offers an indication of where future payments and quality measures will go, so use it to be ready, he counsels. “Look 3 years in advance now to see where you’ll be.”