EHR Adopters Get More Time to Meet Meaningful Use Standards

Physicians and facilities will have more time to qualify for government incentives to achieve meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). Under the current requirements, eligible doctors and hospitals that begin participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program this year would have to meet new standards for the program in 2013. If they did not participate in the program until 2012, they could wait to meet these new standards until 2014 and still be eligible for the same incentive.