During National Health IT week, running September 23-30, CMS will be releasing updates to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs to assist providers in successfully implementing health IT initiatives.

With 600,000 active participants in the EHR programs, CMS has released further updates for 2016. These updates for 2016 include:

• The program requires all providers pledge to a single set of objective. There are 10 objectives for eligible professionals and nine objectives for eligible hospitals.
• The EHR reporting period for eligible professionals, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals not currently showing meaningful use in the previous year can use EHR reporting for a continuous 90-day period throughout 2016. Returning participants must report for a full year within those same dates.
• The attestation period for first-time participant for 2016 showing attestation for meaningful use must be submitted by October 1, 2016, to avoid payment adjustment in 2017. Returning participants must attest by February 28, 2017, with the period opening in January.