HITPC suggests Stage 2 MU extension

The Health IT Policy Committee has recommended that the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) add a year to the timeframe for phasing in Stage 2 expectations. This recommendation would only apply to eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals that attest to meaningful use in 2011, according to a 12-page draft letter from the committee.

Vendors and providers alike have commented that the current schedule for compliance with Stage 2 meaningful use objectives in 2013 poses an almost insurmountable timing challenge for those who attest to meaningful use in 2011, stated the draft letter, which was written by Paul Tang, MD, vice chair of the Health IT Policy Committee and addressed to Farzad Mostashari, MD, MSc, National Coordinator for Health IT.

"The anticipated release of the final rule for Stage 2 in June 2012 would require EHR vendors to design, develop and release new functionality, and for eligible hospitals to upgrade, implement and begin using the new functionality by the beginning of the reporting year in October 2012,” the letter stated.

The Health IT Policy Committee supported an “escalator” approach that balances availability of health IT with ground-level usability to ensure that Stage 2 establishes the IT infrastructure necessary to adequately prepare EPs and hospitals for the delivery system reforms. The committee also supported the Stage 1 final rule expectation of moving all menu-set meaningful use objectives to the core set, according to the draft letter.

EPs and eligible hospitals that attest to Stage 1 for the first time in 2012 would still be expected to meet Stage 2 criteria in 2014, it stated.

Read the Health IT Policy Committee's draft letter here.