Don’t pack away your blood pressure cuffs just yet! In a tweet heard around the U.S., Acting Administrator for the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Andy Slavitt posted:
In 2016, MU as it has existed– with MACRA– will now be effectively over and replaced with something better #JPM16
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) January 11, 2016
Slavitt quickly followed up the next day to clarify the direction of Meaningful Use. An article released by Healthcare Informatics quoted Vice President of Public Policy, Leslie Kriegstein stating, “a reoriented IT policy program, meaningful use, is indeed needed to acknowledge and accommodate the needs of the new reimbursement structure, and to allow innovation to flourish.” Kriegstein also said that Slavitt’s words might be misinterpreted because while the meaningful use program as we knew it is over, it “will take a new face, and be re-driven with a new focus.” Kriegstein hints about a carrot and stick approach, which will be incorporated by morphing Meaningful Use into the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). MACRA will reward Eligible Professionals (EPs) utilizing Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT), such as RXNT|EHR. The new reporting program will be referred to as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) allowing EPs to be incentivized within their scope of practice and focus on patient needs, not the needs from CMS hard-defined requirements. Click here to read the full article.
What are the do’s and dont’s? Do… keep going. Don’t…. stop. A blog released by RXNT early last month identified the new changes to CMS reporting programs as soon as they were announced. While the Healthcare Industry prepares for MIPS, EPs that have previously participated under the Meaningful Use (MU) program have been reminded that they can now meet multiple reporting program requirements (such as PQRS) in 2016 by reporting Clinical Quality Measures using CEHRT, specifically RXNT|EHR. If you have not created a 2016 roadmap and want to learn more, click here to read RXNT’s January blog for direction.
Have more questions? We’re here for you. Just contact [email protected] or call 800-943-7968 option 3 to speak directly with an RXNT Team Member.