On August 23, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued final rules setting forth respectively the requirements for providers in Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive program and modifications to the EHR certification process. CMS also issued a final rule on August 24, 2012, delaying the compliance date for the use of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition medical data code sets (ICD-10 codes) and implementing unique health plan identifiers (HPIDs) for all insurers.

The most significant changes include postponing implementation of Stage 2 criteria for meaningful use of EHR, adding objectives and modifying measures to determine meaningful use, and delaying the use of ICD-10 codes.

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