Stage 2 Attestation User Guides Now Available

Review Steps for Submitting Stage 2 Meaningful Use Data through the Attestation System

 

Are you preparing to submit Stage 2 meaningful use data for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program? If so, CMS has recently posted the following step-by-step guides to help navigate the CMS Attestation System:

• Stage 2 Attestation User Guide for Eligible Professionals


• Stage 2 Attestation User Guide for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs

These guides provide instructions and important information that you will need in order to successfully attest, as well as helpful tips and screenshots to walk you through the process.

Note: While all providers begin their registration through the CMS Registration & Attestation System, Medicaid eligible professionals and Medicaid-only eligible hospitals must attest through their State Medicaid Agency’s website. Please visit the Medicaid State Information pageto learn more.

 

Additional Stage 2 Resources

CMS has additional resources to help ensure your attestation will be successful:

• Stage 2 Attestation Worksheet for Eligible Professionals


• Stage 2 Attestation Worksheet for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs


• Stage 2 Meaningful Use Specification Sheet Table of Contents for Eligible Professionals


• Stage 2 Meaningful Use Specification Sheet Table of Contents for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs

For More Information

Visit the Registration and Attestation and Stage 2 pages for more information on how to successfully demonstrate meaningful use.

Reporting EHR Clinical Quality Measures in 2014

Reporting Clinical Quality Measures Will Change for All Providers in 2014

On August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final rule for Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The rule provides new criteria that eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet to successfully participate in the EHR Incentive Programs. 

The final Stage 2 rule establishes that beginning in 2014, the reporting of clinical quality measures (CQMs) will change for allproviders, regardless of whether they are participating in Stage 1 or Stage 2. EHR technology certified to the 2014 standards and capabilities will contain new CQM criteria. 

In 2014, EPs, eligible hospitals, and CAHs in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the EHR Incentive Programs must use the new criteria. All providers must report on CQMs to demonstrate meaningful use, even though CQM reporting was removed as a core objective.

 

Provider	Before 2014	2014 and Beyond
EPs	Complete 6 out of 44 CQMs 3 core or 3 alternate core 3 menu Selected CQMs must cover at least 3 of the National Quality Strategy  (NQS) domains	Complete 9 out of 64 CQMs Choose  at least 1 measure in 3 NQS domains Recommended core CQMs include: 9 CQMs for the adult population 9 CQMs for the pediatric population Prioritize NQS domains
Eligible Hospitals and CAHs	Complete 15 out of 15	Complete 16 out of 29 Choose  at least 1 measure in 3 NQS domains

Reporting CQMs in 2014 and Beyond

• All Medicare-eligible providers in their second year and beyond of demonstrating meaningful use must electronically report CQM data to CMS, starting in 2014 


• Medicaid providers will electronically report CQM data to their state

CQM Tipsheet
CMS has published a tipsheet that includes more information on the CQM 2014 changes.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?
Visit the EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates.

Alert: An Important EHR Incentive Program Deadline is Approaching

November 30 is the Last Day for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to Register and Attest for an Incentive Payment for FY 2011

Eligible hospitals and CAHs have 60 days after the end of the fiscal year to submit their attestation for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. The last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can register and attest for fiscal year (FY) 2011 is November 30, 2011. For eligible hospitals and CAHs, this means that they must successfully register and then attest to demonstrating meaningful use by this date in order to receive an incentive payment for FY 2011.

Note, in order to attest, you must have begun your 90-day reporting period on or before July 3, 2011. Registration will be open after November 30th for eligible hospitals and CAHs who wish to register for a 2012 payment.

CMS encourages eligible hospitals and CAHs not to miss the deadline to attest for an incentive payment for FY 2011.

Registration Resources

To help eligible hospitals and CAHs with registration, CMS has created a Registration User Guide for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs. Additionally, eligible hospitals and CAHs can view the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Webinar for Eligible Hospitals and CAHs, which walks hospitals through the registration process.

Attestation Resources

CMS has a number of tools available to help eligible hospitals and CAHs prepare for attestation. They can use the CMS Eligible Hospital and CAH Attestation Worksheet to record their meaningful use measures and then use as a reference when attesting for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in CMS' web-based Registration and Attestation System. The Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator and Attestation User Guide for Eligible Hospitals and CAHscan also help with the attestation process.

Looking Ahead

Take a look at all of the other EHR Incentive Program important dates that are coming up by going to our CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Milestone Timeline, or reviewing the “Important Dates” section of the EHR Incentive Programs’ Overview page.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?

Make sure to visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.

CMS has attestation resources to help you

Take a Look at CMS' Attestation Resources

Are you an eligible professional (EP) or eligible hospital participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program?  CMS has resources to help you attest to having met meaningful use requirements in order to receive your EHR incentive payment.

Attestation resources located on the CMS EHR website include:

• An Attestation page on the CMS EHR website, where participants in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program can find important information on attestation.
  
  


• The Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator allows EPs and eligible hospitals to check whether they have met meaningful use guidelines before they attest in the system. The calculator prints a copy of each EP's or eligible hospital's specific measure summary.
  
  


• The Attestation User Guide for Medicare Eligible Professionals and the Attestation User Guide for Eligible Hospitals provide step-by-step guidance for EPs and eligible hospitals participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program on navigating the attestation system.
  
  


• Attestation Worksheets for EPs and Eligible Hospitals allow users to fill out their meaningful use measure values, so they have a quick reference tool to use while attesting.
  
  


• An Eligible Professional Medicare EHR Incentive Program Attestation Webinar, which is a video version of the user guides for EPs and walks viewers through how to complete the attestation process.

Attestation is currently open for all participants in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. You can attest via CMS' Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?
Make sure to visit the EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.

July 3rd marks an important deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs).

The last day that eligible hospitals and CAHs can begin their 90-day reporting period in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is July 3, 2011. For hospitals, this means that they must begin their consecutive 90-day reporting period by July 3rd if they still want to successfully demonstrate meaningful use and receive an incentive payment for FY 2011.

Resources to Help

CMS has developed some tools to help providers attest. Eligible hospitals and CAHs who have completed their reporting period can use the CMS Eligible Hospital and CAH Attestation Worksheet to log their meaningful use measures to use as a reference when attesting for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in the CMS system.

Additionally, the Meaningful Use Attestation Calculator allows eligible hospitals and CAHs to test whether or not they will successfully demonstrate meaningful use for the EHR Incentive Programs and the Attestation User Guide for Eligible Hospitals will walk eligible hospitals and CAHs through the attestation system, helping them to successfully attest to meeting meaningful use.

Looking Ahead

September 30, 2011 is the last day of the federal fiscal year, marking the end of the reporting year for eligible hospitals and CAHs. See what other important dates are coming in 2011 by going to our CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Milestone Timeline, or reviewing the “Important Dates” section of the EHR Incentive Programs’ Overview page.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs? 

Make sure to visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.