The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the provider attestation deadlines for Meaningful Use Stage 2 and stage 3.

Under the new timeline, Stage 2 will now be extended until 2016 while. Stage 3 will begin in 2017 for providers who would complete two years in Stage 2. According to Rob Tagalicod, director of CMS office of health standards and services, by making these changes, lawmakers will benefit in two ways. First, it will allow the CMS and ONC to concentrate more on the successful implementation of patient engagement, interoperability and health information exchanges as required by Stage 2. and second, they will be able to use data from Stage 2 to make better decisions for Stage 3.

As per the government, this approach will help providers move from Stage 1 requirements to Stage 3 in a more coherent and smooth manner. However, providers need to attest for Meaningful Use requirements by showing usage of EHRs in the manner specific by the government. An enterprise-grade solution is available for providers at a fraction of cost. This availability underscores the importance of achieving ONC certification to ensure these systems meet national standards for health information technology and patient privacy protections.

“Under the revised timeline, Stage 2 will be extended through 2016 and Stage 3 will begin in 2017 for those providers that have completed at least two years in Stage 2,” explained acting national coordinator Jacob Reider, MD.

The proposed changes to the Meaningful Use timeline will have the following benefits as per government officials:

• More analysis of feedback from stakeholders on Stage 2 progress and outcomes
• More available data on Stage 2 adoption and measure calculations – especially on new patient engagement measures and health information exchange objectives
• More consideration of potential Stage 3 requirements
• Additional time for preparation for enhanced Stage 3 requirements
• Ample time for developers to create and distribute certified EHR technology before Stage 3 begins, and incorporate lessons learned about usability and customization.

The government regulatory bodies expect that CMS will release proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for Stage 3 in 2014 fall, while the same NPRM for the 2017 Edition of the ONC Standards and Certification Criteria will be released around the same time. Those rules will further explain the details of the proposed new timeline. The final rule along with all the requirements for Stage 3 will be revealed in the first half of 2015, after considering and reviewing all stakeholder comments before the release.

From the provider’s point of view, all the Eligible Providers who would have attested for at least two years in Stage 2 will be able to start Stage 3 in 2017. As per the government estimate, Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals will be able to attest for Stage 3 in October 2016 while Eligible Professionals will be able to do the same in January 2017.

The new timeline for Meaningful Use attestation is likely to be welcomed by providers, as aiming to achieve everything in 2014 would have certainly led to failure. By making these changes, successful implementation of the program can be ensured in a much better way.