Home Forums Discussions Meaningful Use Meaningful Use Stage 2

My understanding of events for those who started MU attestation in 2011:

--We need to attest for stage 2 for a 90 day period in 2014 to obtain the $4000 incentive bonus and avoid a 2% penalty in 2016.
--Is Amazing Charts CEHRT certified for Stage 2 at this point? If not, is that expected to happen soon?
--My understanding is that Stage 2 attestation has been extended through 2016, delaying stage 3 MU for another year, until 2017
--Hopefully MU will sunset by then if the SGR legislation passes, and be replaced by some other program that isn't has onerous.

I would love to hear thoughts or clarifications as to the above.

At the AC User's Conference in September we were told that MU Stage 2 will be coded by the end of 2013. Then it needs to be approved by CMS to get CEHRT certification. They expected this would take 1-2 months. As you said for Stage 2 for 2014 we only have to attest for 90d so we don?t have to start till 10/1/14. I haven't heard anything beyond this but it certainly sounds like AC is committed to making it happen.

Interested in hearing responses to the same questions billfox has, but adding to it:

--- Is the Meaningful Use Wizard equipped to handle the new requirements (I.e., increased percentage thresholds and new Core/Menu measures) for Meaningful Use Stage 2?
--- Since establishing the patient portal (which can be done through Updox according to their training/marketing materials) is such an integral part of Stage 2, does the MU Wizard take this into account (for Core 17)?
--- It was our understanding that Stage 2 (year 3) had to be completed over the course of 12 consecutive months, starting January, 1st. Is this not the case?

At this point, having just run the MU Wizard it does not look like it has been updated to take into account the two new Core Measures and five new Menu measures...

If it doesn't seem that an update will be forthcoming (quite a disappointment for us if so), does anybody have any tips/experience for completing MU2 without this tool in AmazingCharts?

That is correct. The first year of stage 2 is 90 days (just as it was for the first year of stage 1).
This is a useful summary and overall chart which provides confirmation: ***("For 2014 only, all providers regardless of their stage of meaningful use are only required to demonstrate meaningful use for a 3-month EHR reporting period.")

AC is not certified for Stage 2 at this point. We were initially told that certification was expected in December, 2013; that did not occur. Presumably it will occur soon. Though the company has not released an updated certification date, there should be plenty of time since only a 90 day attestation is required (assuming the appropriate version is released in the next 6 months or so).
The certified version is expected to include a version of the Updox patient portal which will facilitate stage 2 attestation.
Until the appropriate version is released, personally I would not expect the current wizard to be of much help with the stage 2 criteria.

Hopefully the company will formally announce word on these issues (or at least an informational update) soon.

So Jon, are you saying that year 2 stage 1 only needs attestation for a 3 month period? I thought it had to be a full calendar year. Maybe you are just talking about stage 2 not stage 1.

Nancy

Never mind.....I found my answer. Sorry to butt in.