The Department of Health and Human Services is leading efforts to release the latest rules on managing electronic health records under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs and 2015 Edition Health IT Certification Criteria.
HHS said Friday it worked with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for stage 3 of the rule-making process.
The “meaningful use” stage 3 rule focuses on proposed criteria for eligibility to receive Medicaid EHR incentives and avoid payment adjustments to Medicare, the department added.
“The steps we are taking today will help to create more transparency on cost and quality information, bring electronic health information to inform care and decision-making, and support population health,” said HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell.
HHS said the overall rule-making process works to guide healthcare providers in sharing EHR and providing improved care through systems interoperability and provider incentives.
“The certification criteria we have proposed in the 2015 edition will help achieve [an interoperable health system] through provisions that consider the range of health IT users and uses across the care continuum,” added Karen DeSalvo, national health IT coordinator.
She noted that provisions cover data portability, transparency, oversight, security and privacy.
Comments on the stage 3 and 2015 edition proposed rules are due May 29.
