Health Law Attorney BlogONC Proposes Certification Program for Electronic Health Records Systems
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (“ONC”), an office of the Department of Health and Human Services, released a proposed rule creating a program to certify electronic health records (“EHR”) systems. The rule creates both a temporary and a permanent certification system, designed to assure users to that EHR systems and related technology meets the “meaningful use” criteria of the HITECH Act.
This certification is required by CMS for providers to receive payments in an incentive program created by CMS in January for the “meaningful use” of EHR technology.
ONC hopes to issue the final rule regarding temporary certification by the time that HHS issues final rules regarding meaningful use standards and certification criteria. Both are expected this fall.
The permanent certification program, with a longer comment period, will later replace the temporary program.
For more information, contact Jessica L. Gustafson, Esq. at (248) 996-8510.