Less than 17% have hit Stage 2 targets; organizations again call for MU relief

During the Nov. 4 Health IT Policy Committee meeting, Beth Meyers from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revealed that the latest numbers indicate fewer than 17 percent of U.S. hospitals have successfully attested to Meaningful Use Stage 2.

The 415,000 unique providers who have been paid through the end of September put the MU tally at $25.4 billion.

1,903 hospitals have successfully attested for 2014 and 840 have attested to Stage 2, said Meyers.

Dawn Haisey-Grove, public health analyst in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, said the numbers don’t account for the eligible professionals and hospitals that have attested since Sept. 20. Providers typically wait until the end of their fiscal or calendar years, she added.

Despite that caveat, officials from the American Medical Association (AMA), College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) quickly called the results disappointing, yet predictable.

"Meaningful Use participation data released today have validated the concerns of providers and IT leaders. These numbers continue to underscore the need for a sensible glide-path in 2015," said CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell, FCHIME, CHCIO, in a release. "Providers have struggled mightily in 2014, in many instances for reasons beyond their control. If nothing is done to help them get back on track in 2015, we will continue to see growing dissatisfaction with EHRs and disenchantment with Meaningful Use."

The organizations again called for shortened reporting periods for 2015 and more program flexibility.  

"The low number of EP attestations to date is clear evidence that physician practices and their vendor partners have faced significant challenges in meeting the more onerous Stage 2 requirements of meaningful use," said Anders M. Gilberg, senior vice president, government affairs, MGMA. "Shortening the reporting period in 2015 is a much needed change if the program is to remain viable and is a critical step if the nation is to continue making progress toward the goal of interoperability."

"CMS must end its one-size-fits all approach to achieve the goals of the Meaningful Use program, which are to create a secure and interoperable infrastructure," said AMA President-Elect Steven J. Stack, MD. "The AMA recently released a blueprint to outline ways to improve the Meaningful Use program, as well as a framework outlining eight priorities for more usable EHRs. We believe the stringent pass/fail requirements for meeting Meaningful Use, combined with a tsunami of other overlapping regulations, are keeping physicians from participating in the Meaningful Use program."