meaningful use attestation

Meaningful use attestation, in a health information technology (HIT) context, is a process that documents that an organization or individual has successfully demonstrated meaningful use and is successfully fulfilling the requirements for electronic health records (EHR) and related technology.  

In general, attestation is the process of validating that something is true. A healthcare organization must demonstrate meaningful use in order to be eligible for payments from the federal government under either the Medicare or Medicaid EHR incentive program. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT along with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services have compiled a list of Electronic Health Record products used for the attestation of meaningful use under the CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.  

According to the provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, organizations eligible for the Medicare EHR incentive program must attest to meaningful use by 2014 to be eligible for EHR incentive payments. Providers must attest to meaningful use stage 1 for two years before moving onto stage 2, and attest to stage 2 for two years before tackling stage 3. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) establish all criteria. Those eligible for the Medicaid program must demonstrate meaningful use by 2016 to receive payment.