The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released a document correcting errors in its final rule implementing the requirements for Stage 2 of the Meaningful Use incentive program.
Most of the corrections in the 10-page document, published in the Oct. 23 Federal Register, are minor, such as typographical and grammatical errors, and technical corrections, such as renumbering tables.
Some of the corrections, however, appear to be more substantive in nature. For example:
- On page 54,051, CMS omitted a reference to the applicable eligible professionals or eligible hospitals that has to meet the calendar year or fiscal year submission period requirements. The final rule, published in the Federal Register Sept. 4, also contained errors in describing those providers in the first year of demonstrating meaningful use for purposes of avoiding a payment adjustment.
- On page 54,052, the rule omitted certain clinical quality measures that were included in Stage 1, but not finalized in Stage 2 after consideration of public comments.
- On page 54,053 the rule omitted certain clinical quality measurements that would be excluded from an eligible professional's option of reporting in Stage 1 of Meaningful Use.
The document also says that CMS believes that this correction notice does not constitute rulemaking for which notice, a comment period, and a delay in effective date applies, and that CMS has "good cause" to waive those requirements.
CMS has issued corrections to rules and guidance in the past. For instance, the agency published technical corrections to the proposed rule implementing Stage 2 of Meaningful Use back in April. Providers should be aware of the revised rule when preparing for the new rule, which goes into effect in 2014.
To learn more:
- here are the corrections