2018 Modified Stage 2 Program Requirements for Eligible Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Dual-Eligible Hospitals Attesting to CMS
Guidance for 2018 Modified Stage 2 program requirements for eligible Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Dual-Eligible Hospitals attesting to CMS.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: May 02, 2018
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is renaming the EHR Incentive Programs to the Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs to continue the agency’s focus on improving patients’ access to health information and reducing the time and cost required of providers to comply with the programs’ requirements. CMS is also in the process of finalizing updates to the programs through rulemaking. For more information, visit the landing page where CMS will publish updates and additional resources as soon as they are available.
On November 14, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Payment System for calendar year (CY) 2017 Final Rule with Comment Period that included changes responsive to stakeholder feedback and will result in continued advancement of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT). The finalized changes also utilize and have resulted in a program more focused on supporting interoperability and data sharing for all participants under the Promoting Interoperability Programs (formally named the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs). To access the published final rule, please click here.
On August 14, 2017, CMS published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System Final Rule, which contains several changes that will directly affect the PI Programs. To access the published final rule, please click here.
Participants must attest successfully to Modified Stage 2 program requirements to avoid the Medicare payment adjustment. For more payment information, visit the eligible hospital information page.
Objectives and Measures
- Providers that choose to attest to Modified Stage 2 objectives and measures would continue to meet the requirements (including the thresholds) finalized in the 2017 OPPS/ASC final rule.
- For eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAHs), and dual-eligible hospitals attesting to CMS, there are 7 objectives (PDF).
- New naming conventions for measures (PDF) began with the 2017 OPPS/ASC final rule.
Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT)
- For Modified Stage 2 in 2018, Providers may attest to objectives and measures using 2014 Edition or 2015 Edition (CEHRT), or a combination of the two.
Payment Information
- Refer to the Payment Adjustments and Hardship Information webpage for information on the new exceptions finalized in the 2018 IPPS final rule.
PI Reporting Period
- For 2018, the PI reporting period for all participants is a minimum of any continuous 90 days from January 1 through December 31, 2018.
- Check the Landing page for up-to-date information on the attestation deadline.
Requirements for PI Programs in 2018 Resources
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