,,ii #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cagc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #ac1 #bjaf ,mr4 ,thune 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,alexander1 ,mr4 ,burr1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 ,mr4 ,roberts1 and ,mr4 ,cassidy7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to provide for a #ij-;day ,,ehr reporting period for the determination of whether an eligible professional or eligible hospital is a meaningful ,,ehr user and to remove the all-or-nothing approach to meaningful use1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,ehr ,regulatory ,relief ,act4 #b4 #ij-;day ,,ehr reporting period for determination of whether an eligible professional or eligible hospital is a meaningful ,,ehr user 7a7 ,for an eligible professional for the #bjaf ,,ehr reporting period for the #bjah payment adjustment ,section #ahdh7;a77#g77;,e77ii7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7;a77#g77;,e77ii77 is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence3 ,for the ,,ehr reporting period with respect to #bjah or additional years1 such term shall also include a #ij-;day ,,ehr reporting period1 in addition to any period 7or periods7 specified by the ,secretary44 7b7 ,continuation of #ij-;,day ,,ehr reporting period under ,,mips ,section #ahdh7o77#e77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7o77#e77;,b77 is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence3 ,for purposes of determining a performance period under subsection 7q77#d7 with respect to the performance category described in subsection 7q77#b77;,a77iv71 and for purposes of the performance period described in paragraph 7#b77;,d71 for years as the ,secretary determines appropriate1 such term shall also include a #ij-;day ,,ehr performance period1 in addition to any period 7or periods7 specified by the ,secretary44 7c7 ,for an eligible hospital for the #bjaf ,,ehr reporting period and subsequent reporting periods and payment adjustments for fiscal year #bjah and subsequent fiscal years ,section #ahhf7;b77#c77;,b77ix77,,iv7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acieww7b77#c77;,b77ix77,,iv77 is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence3 ,for the ,,ehr reporting period with respect to fiscal year #bjah and each subsequent fiscal year1 such term shall also include a #ij-;day ,,ehr reporting period 7or periods7 specified by the ,secretary44 #c4 ,removing the all-or-nothing approach to meaningful use 7a7 ,for an eligible professional ,section #ahdh7o77#b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7o77#b77 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,e7 ,flexibility for meaningful use determinations for eligible professionals ,in applying clauses 7i71 7ii71 and 7iii7 of subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary may determine that an eligible professional is a meaningful ,,ehr user for the ,,ehr reporting period for #bjah or additional years as determined by the ,secretary if such eligible professional meets at least #gj percent 7or a portion between #ej and #gj percent7 of the measures established by the ,secretary4 4 7b7 ,for an eligible hospital ,section #ahhf7n77#c7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acieww7n77#c77 is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7,d7 ,flexibility for meaningful use determinations for eligible hospitals ,in applying clauses 7i71 7ii71 and 7iii7 of subparagraph 7,a71 for purposes of subsection 7b77#c77;,b77ix7 for an ,,ehr reporting period under such subsection with respect to fiscal years after #bjah1 the ,secretary shall determine that an eligible hospital is a meaningful ,,ehr user for the ,,ehr reporting period for such fiscal years using a methodology specified by the ,secretary through rulemaking based on performance with respect to objectives and measures established by the ,secretary that is met by an eligible hospital4 ,such methodology shall allow an eligible hospital to be a meaningful ,,ehr user if they achieve #gj percent 7or a portion between #ej and #gj percent7 of such measures or if they achieve a composite score 7as determined by the ,secretary through rulemaking7 based on such measures4 4 7c7 ,conforming amendments ,the last sentence of each of sections #ahdh7o77#b77;,a7 and #ahhf7n77#c77;,a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7o77#b77;,a71 #acieww7n77#c77;,a77 are amended by striking by and all that follows before the period at the end4 #d4 ,extending flexibility in applying hardship exception for meaningful use 7a7 ,for an eligible professional for the #bjaf ,,ehr reporting period for the #bjah payment adjustment ,section #ahdh7;a77#g77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#d7;a77#g77;,b77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking exception4--,the ,secretary and inserting 8exception4-- 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary 2 7#b7 in the first sentence of clause 7i71 as added by paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by striking #bjag and inserting each of #bjag and #bjah2 and 7,b7 by striking ,march #ae1 #bjaf and inserting the applicable date 7as defined in clause 7ii772 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new clause3 7ii7 ,applicable date defined ,in this subparagraph1 the term applicable date means-- 7,i7 with respect to the payment adjustment under subparagraph 7,a7 for #bjag1 ,march #ae1 #bjaf2 and 7,,ii7 with respect to the payment adjustment under subparagraph 7,a7 for #bjah1 ,march #ae1 #bjag4 4 7b7 ,for an eligible hospital for the #bjaf and #bjag ,,ehr reporting periods and payment adjustments for fiscal ,years #bjah and #bjai ,section #ahhf7;b77#c77;,b77ix7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acieww7b77#c77;,b77ix77 is amended-- 7#a7 in the first sentence of subclause 7,,ii7-- 7,a7 by striking fiscal year #bjag and inserting each of fiscal years #bjag through #bjai2 and 7,b7 by striking ,april #a1 #bjaf and inserting the applicable date 7as defined in subclause 7,v772 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following new subclause3 7,v7 ,for purposes of this clause1 the term applicable date means-- 7aa7 with respect to the payment reduction under subclause 7,i7 for fiscal year #bjag1 ,april #a1 #bjaf2 7bb7 with respect to the payment reduction under subclause 7,i7 for fiscal year #bjah1 ,april #a1 #bjag2 and 7cc7 with respect to the payment reduction under subclause 7,i7 for fiscal year #bjai1 ,april #a1 #bjah4 4