In the past few months there have been a number of important developments related to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, both regulatory and legislative. Here is what you should know.
Beginning with the regulatory side, in May 2012, ASA submitted formal comments on the EHR Incentive Program Stage 2 Proposed Rule and urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to create a hardship exemption for anesthesiologists. Subsequently, in September 2012, CMS published the EHR Incentive Program Stage 2 Final Rule. I am pleased to report that as a direct result of ASA’s advocacy efforts, the Stage 2 Final Rule created a temporary hardship exemption for anesthesiologists, pathologists and radiologists from the penalties associated with the EHR Incentive Program. The hardship exemption is an important step forward, considering that these penalties could total up to 5 percent of Medicare allowed charges. The exemption is not yet a...
