To participate successfully in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs in 2016, providers must be in active engagement with a public health agency. Eligible professionals (EPs) must submit electronic public health data using certified EHR technology (CEHRT), except where prohibited and in accordance with applicable law and practice.

2016 Public Health Reporting Requirements

The public health reporting objective for 2016 includes three measures for EPs, and four measures for eligible hospitals and CAHs. EPs must attest to any combination of two measures, and eligible hospitals and CAHs must attest to any combination of three measures.

• Measure 1: Immunization Registry Reporting


• Measure 2: Syndromic Surveillance Reporting


• Measure 3: Specialized Registry Reporting


• Measure 4: Electronic Reportable Laboratory (ELR) Results Reporting (eligible hospitals and CAHs only)

Please note: providers may report to more than one specialized registry and may count specialized registry reporting more than once to meet the required number of measures for the objective.

Exclusions and Alternate Exclusions in 2016

There are multiple exclusions for each of the public health reporting measures in 2016. For a complete list, see the Public Health Reporting specification sheets for EPs.

Providers may claim an alternate exclusion for the Public Health Reporting measure(s) that might require the acquisition of additional technologies they did not previously have or did not intend to include in their activities for meaningful use.

Providers may claim an alternate exclusion for Measure 2/Syndromic Surveillance Reporting (EPs) and Measure 3/Specialized Registry Reporting (EPs and eligible hospitals and CAHs).

CMS Resources

EHR Incentive Program webpage Links to announcements, program resources and important dates.

Public Health Reporting in 2016 tip sheets for EPs Learn more about the public health objective in 2016, including how to be in active engagement and how to determine a specialized registry.

2016 Qualified Clinical Data Registries The list includes detailed information of the services each QCDR offers, the cost incurred by their clients, as well as the measures they are supporting in PY 2016.

2016 PQRS QCDR Participation Made Simple For EPs and PQRS group practices interested in using a QCDR to avoid the 2018 PQRS negative payment adjustment, this beginner-level document describes QCDR reporting and outlines the steps that an individual EP or group practice should take in selecting a QCDR for the 2016 PQRS program year.