AMA, AHA add to MU criticisms

Meaningful Use (MU) takes yet another hit from organizations seeking to reduce the burden of the program. The American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association, calling MU requirements "overly burdensome," make four recommendations to improve the program for providers in a letter sent to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. 

AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock and AMA Executive Vice President and CEO James Madara call for the following in the letter:

• Providers at Stage 1 to meet the MU requirements [for transitioning to Stage 2] using either the 2011 certified edition EHR or the 2014 certified edition EHR, which they say will give vendors more time to complete their upgrades
• The establishment of a 90-day reporting period for the first year of each new stage of MU
• Greater flexibility for providers in meeting Stage 2
• An extension of each stage of MU to no less than three years for all providers

"Our members and the vendors they work with report growing concerns that the rapidly approaching start date for Stage 2 is on a trajectory that will not provide enough time or adequate flexibility for a safe and orderly transition unless certain changes are made," the letter reads. "Stage 2 rules are tremendously complex and include entirely new requirements … or expand on requirements that were a significant challenge in Stage 1."

The organizations' concerns come on the heels of testimony from representatives of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives about their implementation frustrations during the Health IT Policy and Standards Committee meeting.