Definition of "Meaningful Use" Expected in Late 2009
As an update on the progress that Health and Human Services (“HHS”), in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) and the National Coordinator for Health Information, is making toward defining “meaningful use," HHS is reporting that the proposed rule (defining “meaningful use”), is targeted for publication in late 2009.
On a related issue, recently, I have been receiving an increasing number of questions from readers wondering whether their practices will be among those eligible for incentive payments under the ARRA. My response has always been, and remains, that these questions can not be answered until the exact definition of "meaningful use" is fleshed out. However, in the interim, HHS has defined "eligible professional" in the following ways:
For the Medicare Incentives:
A physician as defined in section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act, which includes the following five types of professional:
- Doctor of medicine or osteopathy
- Doctor of dental surgery or medicine
- Doctor of podiatric medicine
- Doctor of optometry
- Chiropractor
For the Medicaid Incentives:
- Physicians
- Dentists
- Certified nurse-midwives
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants who are participating in Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Clinics led by physician assistants.
I hope that helps to clear up some of the confusion.
