The final rule for Meaningful Use Stage 3 is out and addressed concerns regarding reporting burden, interoperability and reporting periods.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) released the final rule they they say "adds new flexibilities for providers to make electronic health information available when and where it matters most and for healthcare providers and consumers to be able to readily, safely and securely exchange that information."

The agencies responded to widespread criticism of the Meaningful Use program in the rule, easing the reporting burden for providers by allowing providers to choose the measures of progress that are most meaningful to their practice and giving them more time to implement changes to program requirements. Providers are encouraged to apply for hardship exceptions if they need to switch or have other technology difficulties with their EHR vendor, according to the announcement of the rule. Additionally, the new rules give developers more time to create user-friendly technologies that give individuals easier access to their information so they can be engaged and empowered in their care.

“We have a shared goal of electronic health records helping physicians, clinicians, and hospitals to deliver better care, smarter spending and healthier people. We eliminated unnecessary requirements, simplified and increased flexibility for those that remain, and focused on interoperability, information exchange and patient engagement. By 2018, these rules move us beyond the staged approach of ‘meaningful use’ and focus on broader delivery system reform,” said Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, CMS deputy administrator for innovation and quality and chief medical officer. “Most importantly we are seeking additional public comments and plan for active engagement of stakeholders so we take time to get broad input on how to improve these programs over time.”

CMS announced a 60-day public comment period to gather additional feedback about the EHR Incentive Programs going forward, in particular with the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which established the Merit-based Incentive Payment System and consolidates certain aspects of a number of quality measurement and federal incentive programs into one more efficient framework. The feedback will be used to inform future policy developments for the EHR Incentive Programs, as well as consider it during rulemaking to implement MACRA, which we expect to release in the spring of 2016. CMS will take public comment for 60 days from Oct. 16, when it's set for publication in the Federal Register. 

According to HHS, major provisions in the Stage 3 rule include:

• 10 objectives for eligible professionals including one public health reporting objective, down from 18 total objectives in prior stages.
• 9 objectives for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) including one public health reporting objective, down from 20 total objectives in prior stages.
• Clinical quality measures (CQM) reporting for both eligible professionals and eligible hospitals/CAHs remains as previously finalized.

“This rule is a key step forward in our work with the private sector to realize the shared goal of making actionable electronic health information available when and where it matters most to transform care and improve health for the individual, community and larger population. It will bring us closer to a world in which healthcare providers and consumers can readily, safely and securely exchange electronic health information,” said Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, national coordinator for health IT.

Read the CMS MU fact sheet.