HIMSS, CHIME Pressing For Movement On Flex-IT Bill
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Two of the industries heavy hitters are urging constituents to contact legislators for action before year’s end.
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
HIMSS is calling for legislative action from Congress, even as it enters the final weeks of the “Lame Duck” term before newly elected officials take office in January. Specifically, HIMSS in concerned that, under current law, the meaningful use (MU) reporting period in fiscal and calendar year 2015 is a full year and many providers are not ready for that.
To date, numerous stakeholders have urged the Department of Health and Human Services to permit a 90-day reporting process and have been rebuffed. With no relief from HHS, stakeholders are now appealing to Congress for legislative relief.
HIMSS is asking members to press their representative to approve H.R. 5481, introduced in September by Reps. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) and Jim Matheson (D-UT). The brief bill, called Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2014, would require that HHS “shall continue through 2015 (in the case of eligible professionals) and fiscal year 2015 (in the case of eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals) to permit the use of a three-month quarter EHR reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use for purposes of such part, without regard to the payment year or the stage of meaningful use criteria involved.”
If support quickly builds in Congress, the bill could be passed in a standalone vote, but more likely would be tacked onto a larger bill that is moving through the houses. Further, a change in the reporting period could come even without a vote if there is enough demand for change, HIMSS is telling members. “Even without this bill passing, with enough Congressional support CMS may be persuaded to change the current policy.”
HIMSS supports the bill and, according to HdalthData Management, is urging its constituents to contact their legislators to further its passage. “Members of Congress are not hearing from their constituents about 2015 Meaningful Use Reporting Period and that is where you can help! HIMSS is engaged in an effort to let members of Congress hear from their constituents about this important issue.”
Falling short of the bill’s passage, the industry association foresees the potential for Congress to consider other legislative avenues in the future. “Even without this bill passing, with enough Congressional support CMS may be persuaded to change the current policy,” the group maintains.
Another organization that supports the legislation is the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), which has repeatedly called on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reconsider meaningful use requirements in 2015 just as the federal agency showed a willingness to do in 2014.
“The misstep by officials to require a full-year of reporting using 2014 Edition certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) in 2015 puts many eligible hospitals and physicians at risk of not meeting Meaningful Use next year and hinders the intended impact of the program,” the organization stated in September. “To date; only 143 hospitals have met Stage 2 to date, representing a very small percentage of the 3,800 hospitals required to be Stage 2-ready within the next 14 days.”