PI

Promoting Interoperability (PI)

CMS has renamed the EHR Incentive Programs to Promoting Interoperability. In 2011, CMS established Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs to encourage eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and CAHs in the adoption, implementation and demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT).

The PI Programs consist of three stages:

Stage 1 –    Established requirements for electronic capture of clinical data, including providing patients with electronic copies of health information.
Stage 2 –    Focused on advancing clinical processes to ensure that meaningful use of EHRs supported the National Quality Strategy and encouraged the use of CEHRT to promote continuous quality at the point of care and 
                   promote the exchange of information in a structured format.
Stage 2 Final – Modified Stage 2 to align quality reporting programs and also established Stage 3 for 2017 and beyond. Stage 3 focused on using CEHRT to improve health outcomes.

Timelines

January 1 through December 31, 2018: 2018 PI Programs Reporting Period

July 1, 2018: Deadline for eligible hospitals to submit hardship exception forms based on 2017 reporting year.

November 30, 2018: Deadline for CAH to submit hardship exception forms based on the 2017 reporting year.

On November 4, 2016, CMS published the Medicare Program, Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) under the Physician Fee Schedule. MIPS combined three existing programs, the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), The Physician Value-based Payment Modifier (VM), and the Medicare EHR Incentive Program for EPs. Medicare EPs will attest to the PI performance category under MIPS.

see MIPS