Meaningful Use Revised Timeline |MU Stage 2 Timeline 2016

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Sciences (CMS) has proposed a revised timeline on December 6, 2013 for implementing Meaningfully Usable Electronic Health Record systems. The revised timeline states that Stage 2 will be extended through 2016, and Stage 3 is scheduled to begin in 2017 for providers who have completed atleast 2 years in Stage 2. This means an extended period of 1 year for EPs and EHs demonstrating for Stage 2.

The reason behind this push in the deadline is to focus the effort towards successful implementation of patient engagement, interoperability and health information exchange requirements stressed in Stage 2, and to utilize the result of Stage 2 implementation to frame policy decisions for Stage 3. This brings smiles to the faces of physicians and hospitals who were badly in need of time to meet the stringent requirements by 2014.

CMS plans to release the Notice for Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for Stage 3 in fall of 2014, and the final rules for Stage 3 in the first half of 2015.

Revised Meaningful Use Timeline (For different Stages of Meaningful Use)

First Year	Stage of Meaningful Use
First Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
2011	Stage 1	Stage 1	Stage 1*	Stage 2	Stage 2	Stage 2*	Stage 3	Stage 3	TBD	TBD	TBD
2012	-	Stage 1	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 2	Stage 2*	Stage 3	Stage 3	TBD	TBD	TBD
2013	-	-	Stage 1	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 3	TBD	TBD	TBD
2014	-	-	-	Stage 1	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 3	TBD	TBD
2015	-	-	-	-	Stage 1	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 3	TBD