The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has announced that it will extend the deadline for Medi-Cal meaningful use reporting for the 2016 program year. The deadline has been pushed back one month to May 2, 2017. After that date, DHCS will only accept 2017 attestations.

The Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program provides funding to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) providers and hospitals to adopt, implement, upgrade and make meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Eligible providers should be aware that 2016 is the last year that eligible providers can sign up for the program. Providers who have not received at least one incentive payment by the end of the 2016 reporting year won’t be able to receive any EHR incentive program payments in the future.

DHCS's announcement comes a week after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also extended its 2016 reporting deadline for Medicare meaningful use.

A few other reporting changes were also announced for 2017. DHCS will only accept meaningful use reporting for Stage 2 this year and all clinicians can report Stage 2 no matter how many times they have submitted Stage 2 attestations in the past.

Providers will also have the option to report Stage 3 meaningful use beginning October 24, 2017. Providers who have previously attested to meaningful use will be required to use a full year reporting period for clinical quality measures in 2017. Providers who have never attested to meaningful will be able to able to use 90-day reporting periods.

Click here for more information about Medi-Cal meaningful use reporting.