WHO IS DEFINING, AND ENFORCING, MEANINGFUL USE?
The CMS and the Office of the ONC, both located within HHS, were charged with establishing rules for the financial incentives program spelled out in the stimulus package, including a definition for the meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Two federal advisory committees created by the ARRA — the Health IT Policy Committee and the Health IT Standards Committee — submitted recommendations to the CMS and ONC. The policy committee wrote draft recommendations, provided 10 days for the public to comment and published its final comments on the meaningful use of health IT in September. The committee’s recommendations included a meaningful use matrix of objectives, measures, priorities and goals, which the CMS and ONC used as a foundation for the rules they proposed on Dec. 30. There remain some question as to exactly how the meaningful use requirements will be enforced. Under the proposed rules, providers will have to demonstrate that they meet the objectives by submitting measurement
