The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have released the final rules for Meaningful Use Stage 2.

Naturally, it will take providers some time to unpack the 672-page rule, but perhaps the most immediate takeaway is that, as CMS put it in announcing the release, “No providers will be required to follow the Stage 2 requirements outlined today before 2014.”

Other highlights include two new core objectives: Eligible Providers will be required to “Use secure electronic messaging to communicate with patients on relevant health information,” while Eligible Hospitals must “automatically track medications from order to administration using assistive technologies in conjunction with an electronic medication administration record (eMAR).”

In a change from the initial Stage 2 proposal, CMS has reduced the required percentage of unique patients per provider that can access and download their electronic information from 10% to 5%.

At the same time, ONC has released its Standards and Certification criteria, which are designed to ensure the technical support necessary for providers to meet MU Stage 2.

Among the highlights, the rule:

• Redefines the meaning of Certified EHR Technology as well as introduces more efficient means for certification to permit greater innovation and reduce regulatory burden;
• Adopts vocabulary, content exchange, transport, functional, and security standards in certification criteria;
• Adopts certification criteria for transitions of care that will ensure EHR technology supports standards-based electronic health information exchange;
• Requires that test reports used for EHR technology certification be made publicly available and that EHR technology developers follow certain price transparency practices related to the types of costs (i.e., one-time, ongoing, or both) associated with EHR technology implementation for meaningful use; and
• Makes available for the first time, “gap certification” for certain certification criteria, which will enable more efficient EHR technology certification.

Both rules and accompanying fact sheets can be accessed via the CMS announcement.