Proposed Rule Gives Physicians a Break on Requirement to Electronically Submit Quality Measures

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gave physicians a break (albeit brief) its recent proposed rule on meaningful use reporting requirements for electronic health records (EHRs).

The proposed rule would permit eligible providers to continue to report certified EHR clinical quality measure results by attestation through 2012. Absent the proposed rule’s enactment, EPs will need to submit quality measures electronically to CMS in 2012.

Note that eligible providers who are willing and able to submit clinical quality measures electronically in 2012 can maximize incentive payments and meet meaningful use requirements by participating in the newly-announced Physician Quality Reporting System-Medicare EHR Incentive Pilot.

Physicians who submit clinical quality measures for the entire year using one of the specified electronic options would be eligible for incentive payments from both the physician quality reporting system and the EHR programs.

Physicians who initially attest that they will participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System-Medicare EHR Incentive Pilot but are then unable to participate can still submit quality measures using the CMS attestation module.

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