The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule on September 4, 2014, that revised the meaningful use timeline. Under the rule, eligible professionals can use 2011 Edition certified EHR technology (CEHRT) or a combination of 2011 and 2014 Edition CEHRT for the 2014 EHR reporting period to demonstrate meaningful use. Eligible professionals who were scheduled to begin stage 2 in 2014 will not be required to begin stage 2 until 2015, if they could not fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT due to delays in availability of 2014 Edition CEHRT for the 2014 reporting period. This has been named the “2014 Flex Rule.”

Due to the large number of pending applications from providers for the Medi-Cal Electronic Health Record Incentive Program under the 2014 Flex Rule, DHCS has decided to extend the deadline for applications from May 31, 2015 to June 14, 2015. DHCS reports it will not be extending the deadline further.

According to DHCS, applications for 2015 meaningful use will not be accepted until June 15 due to the 2014 extended deadline.

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