Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program: Requirements for 2020

February 6, 2020 – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the MLN Connects® Newsletter in which it identifies the 2020 for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program. This program (formerly known as the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program) provides incentive payments to eligible hospitals as they demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT). These interoperability programs are designed to support providers during health information technology transition while promoting improvement of the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient health care.

The program requirements were finalized in the FY 2020 Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule. Part of the finalized policies for this program include continued utilization of CEHRT and increased interoperability/patient access to personal health information. In order to demonstrate the objectives of this program, eligible hospitals, CAHs and dual-eligible hospitals attesting to CMS are required to report on four measures:

  1. Electronic prescribing – medication orders; prescription drug monitoring
  2. Health information exchange – transition of care; referrals
  3. Provider to patient exchange – patient access to his/her health information
  4. Public health and clinical data exchange – public health agencies; clinical data registries

For more information on the program, click on the following link: