Program Year 2017

Program Year 2017 opened for attestations November 20, 2017. The deadline to attest has been extended to May 31, 2018. If you have already received payment for your Program Year 2016 attestation, or did not attest to Program Year 2016 (but attested in prior years), you may submit your 2017 attestation.

NOTE: If you have not received payment for your Program Year 2016 attestation, you must wait until that is complete before attesting for 2017. However, we recommend gathering your 2017 documentation now in preparation.

Program Year 2017:

Deadline to attest for Program Year 2017 has been extended to May 31, 2018.
Unless you have upgraded to a 2015 Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT), you will attest to 2017 Meaningful Use Modified Stage 2 Objectives and Measures. Providers attesting to 2017 Meaningful Use Stage 3 may use a 2014, 2015 CEHRT, or a combination of both.
Information Blocking Attestation: Providers participating in the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs must attest to three statements to demonstrate that they have not knowingly and willfully taken action to limit or resrict the compatibility or interoperability of their CEHRT. Collectively, these statements are referred to as the "prevention of information blocking attestation" For more details on information blocking review this fact sheet.
Changes to 2017 Meaningful Use Modified Stage 2 Objectives for Eligible Professionals
- You must attest to all 10 objectives; there are no alternate exclusions or specifications available.
- Objective 8, Measure 2, Patient Electronic Access: For an EHR reporting period in 2017, more than 5 percent of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period (or his or her authorized representatives) view, download or transmit to a third party their health information during the EHR reporting period.
- Objective 9, Secure Electronic Messaging: For an EHR reporting period in 2017, for more than 5 percent of unique patients seen by the EP during the EHR reporting period, a secure message was sent using the electronic messaging function of CEHRT to the patient (or the patient-authorized representative), or in response to a secure message sent by the patient (or the patient-authorized representative) during the EHR reporting period.
- Specification information on these Objectives and Measures can be found here
- Broadband Access Exclusion information for these Objectives and Measures can be found here
Changes to 2017 Meaningful Use Stage 3 Objectives for Eligible Professionals:

Coordination of Care through Patient Engagement: You will be required to attest to all three measures and meet the thresholds for at least two of the measures to meet this objective.
Health Information Exchange: You will be required to attest to all three measures and meet the thresholds for at least two to meet the objective.
Public Health Reporting: You will be required to report on two measures
Specification information on these Objectives and Measures can be found here

CMS Final Rule Changes:

On 8/2/2017 CMS published the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Final Rule, which includes changes to Program Year 2017 and Program 2018 for Eligible Hospitals (EHs) and Eligible Professionals (EPs). The changes are effective October 1, 2017, and summarized below:

2017

	Eligible Professionals	Eligible Hospitals
CQM Reporting Period	90 continuous days in calendar year 2017	One quarter in calendar year 2017 - if reporting electronically -OR- Four quarters during 2017 calendar year – if reporting by attestation. Exception: EHs demonstrating MU for the first time may select a reporting period of one quarter in calendar year 2017
Total CQMs Required for Reporting	6	4 – if reporting electronically 16 – if reporting by attestation
Total number of CQMS available	53	16
CQM Domain Requirement	None	None

2018

	Eligible Professionals	Eligible Hospitals
EHR Reporting Period	90 continuous days in calendar year 2018	One quarter in calendar year 2018
Certified EHR Technology	Allowed to use a 2014, 2015, or a combination of each May report Modified Stage 2 or Stage 3 – if functions are supported by 2015 CEHRT	Allowed to use a 2014, 2015, or a combination of each May report Modified Stage 2 or Stage 3 – if functions are supported by 2015 CEHRT
CQM Reporting Period	Full year	One quarter in calendar year 2018 - if reporting electronically Four quarters during 2018 calendar year – if reporting by attestation
Total CQMs Required for Reporting	6	4 – if reporting electronically 16 – if reporting by attestation
Total number of CQMS available	TBD	16

For additional information, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-08-02.html

Program Year 2017