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Government Funding Measure Has Implications for Ophthalmology

President Obama this week signed a measure into law that funds the government through Sept. 30. The measure maintains across-the-board cuts in federal agency spending caused by the sequestration process, including a 2 percent reduction in Medicare physician pay scheduled to go into effect April 1. In addition to the effects of the Medicare cut on ophthalmologists, funding for the National Eye Institute will be reduced by $36 million in the fiscal year, eliminating the funding of as many as 90 vision-research grants. The measure does, however, more than double funding for the Department of Defense’s Vision Trauma Research Program to $9.2 million.

 

button Medicare EHR Incentive Program Update

CMS Releases Stage 2 Meaningful Use Requirements

CMS has released a final rule defining the requirements for Stage 2 of meaningful use, which will begin in 2014.  The new requirements build on Stage 1 of meaningful use, and CMS has retained the exclusions that allowed ophthalmologists to qualify for incentive payments in Stage 1 of the program.  Visit EHR Central for more information on qualifying for the EHR Incentive Program payments and preparing for Stage 2.