Articles and Blogs

Congress Unlikely to Make Progress on Health Care Bills Before Year-End  As government funding battles overtake Capitol Hill, it appears Congress will not use the lame duck to resolve outstanding health care issues. While the desire to steer clear of health care fights is something different from prior years, outgoing House Ways and Means... READ MORE

For years, companies in the United States have relied on a Safe Harbor to the EU Directives (the stringent privacy requirements imposed by the European Union) to qualify for the ability to transfer protected data between EU countries and the United States. Today, however, the European Court of Justice ruled that the agreement between... READ MORE

In December of 2014, Massachusetts finalized a state law that requires physicians to demonstrate proficiency in using EHRs and/or being a “meaningful user” under the Department of Health and Human Services’ Meaningful Use Electronic Health Record Incentive Program (“Meaningful Use Program”) as a condition of licensure. Massachusetts’ changes to the license requirements are another indication of... READ MORE

Two proposed regulations under the Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program (“MU Program”) were submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) on December 31, 2014.  The two related proposed regulations relate to Stage 3 and the submission to OMB represents the first step toward the proposed regulations being published and available for review... READ MORE

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced that it is extending the deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (“CAHs”) to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record  Incentive Program for the 2014 reporting year from 11:59 PM EST on November 30, 2014 to 11:59 PM EST on December... READ MORE

On October 31, 2014, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) released the Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2015 (“Work Plan”). The Work Plan confirms OIG will continue to concentrate a great deal of their enforcement efforts on the security and vulnerabilities of protected health information (“PHI”) contained... READ MORE

This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) announced its intent to reopen the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals and hospitals participating in the Medicare Meaningful Use Program in order to avoid the 2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating meaningful use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (“CEHRT”).... READ MORE

The Meaningful Use Workgroup provided its recommendations on Meaningful Use Stage 3 to the Health IT Policy Committee on February 4.  Stage 3 would focus on improving outcomes.  Further discussion of the recommendations will be held on February 14.  The proposed timeline sets proposed rulemaking for fall 2014 and final rulemaking for the first half of 2015. ... READ MORE

CMS announced last week that it is extending the deadline for eligible professionals to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (“EHR”) Incentive Program 2013 reporting year from 11:59 PM ET on February 28, 2014 to 11:59 PM ET March 31, 2014.  This extension will allow more time for eligible professionals to submit their meaningful... READ MORE

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published important payment adjustment information this week for health care providers participating in the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program (“Incentive Program”). Eligible Professionals (“EPs”) participating in the Incentive Program may be subject to payment adjustments beginning January 1, 2015. CMS will determine the payment adjustment based on meaningful use data submitted prior... READ MORE