Dive Brief:
- The American Hospital Association is asking CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to push through rules expanding choice for certified EMRs.
- According to the trade group, without the flexibility offered by these new rules, many hospitals are likely to abandon the Meaningful Use EMR incentive payment program.
- Time is of the essence, the group says. The AHA is urging regulators to finalize the rules in time for providers to take advantage of expanded certified EMR choices for fiscal 2014.
Dive Insight:
If CMS and the ONC don't make the proposed changes promptly, it could cause "significant financial and operational harm to hospitals," the AHA argues. After all, without some breathing room, hospitals are hobbled in making EMR investments that both meet MU criteria and fit with their organization's strategy. But the new rules could help hospitals successfully navigate not only this year but also 2015, which the group says will be a "transition year" for the industry.