A beginner's guide to EHR attestation

EHR attestation is a crucial step in receiving incentive payments for demonstrating meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). The attestation process involves a legal declaration that your practice has met all necessary requirements for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, now part of the Promoting Interoperability (PI) Programs. This guide has been updated to reflect the latest changes and updates as of 2024.

What is EHR Attestation?

EHR attestation is the process by which healthcare providers confirm that they have met the criteria for meaningful use of EHRs as required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Successful attestation is necessary to qualify for incentive payments under the PI Programs.

Recommended Reading: EHR Vendor Directory - Find EHR vendors meeting meaningful use standards

Latest Updates from CMS (2024)

Program Transition

• Name change: In April 2018, the EHR Incentive Programs were renamed to the Medicare and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Programs to emphasize interoperability and patient access to health information.
• Medicaid program end: The Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program ended in 2022. The program now focuses solely on the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for eligible hospitals and CAHs.

Reporting Period and Deadlines

• Reporting period: The calendar year (CY) 2024 EHR reporting period began on January 1, 2024, and closes on December 31, 2024.
• Attestation period: Participants may begin reporting and attesting their CY 2024 data in January 2025.
• Hardship Exception: The Hardship Exception application period for CY 2023 is open, closing on August 31, 2024, for eligible hospitals and November 30, 2024, for CAHs.

Objective and Measure Changes

• Increased focus on interoperability: The program now emphasizes improving patient access to health information and the seamless exchange of healthcare data.
• Updated measures and scoring: The measures for 2024 have been updated, and scoring is based on performance across several measures, which now offer more flexibility in selection and reporting periods.

Enhanced Support and Resources

• CMS resources: CMS has enhanced its support resources, including detailed guides, updated FAQs, and a comprehensive attestation guide available on the CMS website.
• Participant requirements: Detailed requirements and ongoing deadlines for program participants can be found on the Program Requirements page on the CMS website.

For more details, visit the CMS Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements page and review the 2024 PI Program Overview.