For immediate release – December 1, 2011 – According to Steven J. Stack, M.D., American Medical Association board chair-elect, “We support flexible criteria for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR meaningful use incentive program and applaud HHS for delaying Stage 2 requirements until 2014 for those who start Stage 1 in 2011. We continue to urge HHS to fully evaluate Stage 1 and develop solutions to increase physician participation rates prior to finalizing requirements for Stage 2.
“We are pleased that recent data shows there is a high interest among physicians to take advantage of the available incentive payments through the government’s EHR Incentive Program, but we remain concerned that this increase in EHR adoption will not occur unless the program maintains sufficient flexibility in later stages. We look forward to reviewing the proposed rule as soon as it is published to ensure that the Stage 2 measures are both meaningful and achievable for physicians.”