Fifty-five percent of physicians do not plan to attest for Meaningful Use Stage 2 in 2015, according to a survey of nearly 2,000 physicians by Medical Practice Insider in partnership with SERMO. Utilizing SERMO physician’s network platform, MPI ask members the simple yes or no question: Do you plan to attest for MU Stage 2 in 2015? Respondents stated attestations does not make sense for their practice as well as their patients. Others stated the patient engagement MU requirements extremely difficult to achieve due to the cumbersome user experience of patient portals and the large number of older patients. CMS data reports that less than 17 percent of hospitals have demonstrated Meaningful Use Stage 2 requirements.
Roughly 1 in 3 hospitals scheduled to meet Stage 2 in 2014 had to use alternative pathways to meet MU, administrative data current through December 1 indicate. Only 4 percent of eligible professionals (EPs) have meet Stage 2 requirements and have until the end of February 2015 to report their progress. As of December 1st, CMS has paid more than $25.7 billion in meaningful use payments to eligible hospitals and professionals. CMS data reported 505,641 active participants in the meaningful use incentive program through October 2014.
“The low number of EP attestations to date is clear evidence that physician practices and their vendor partners have faced significant challenges in meeting the more onerous Stage 2 requirements of meaningful use,” said Anders M. Gilberg, Senior Vice President, government affairs, MGMA. “Shortening the reporting period in 2015 is a much needed change if the program is to remain viable and is a critical step if the nation is to continue making progress toward the goal of interoperability.”
