As they say, “the early bird gets the worm.” Healthcare providers who qualified for Stage 1 meaningful use this year got a bit of a reprieve on Stage 2 compliance when CMS announced late last month that they could take until 2014 to meet the requirements—a year later than previously planned. And those hospitals and doctors who are on the ball and attest to meaningful use Stage 1 requirements by year’s end can qualify for incentive payments in 2011 and 2012. Those who said they would attest for Stage 1 in 2012, and, thus, Stage 2 in 2014 will need to stick to the original schedule.

I applaud CMS for its decision to postpone the Stage 2 deadline given that a decision on the requirements, which are a work in progress, isn’t expected before next summer. I also appreciate their efforts to promote EHR adoption sooner rather than later, a message that has resonated with nearly 43 percent of physicians that are planning to apply for meaningful use incentives having computerized systems that would allow them to meet at least eight Stage 1 “core set” objectives, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (more…)