LAS VEGAS – Expectations have been rising since HIMSS12 opened, but the wait should come to an end today as ONC officials unveil the proposed rule for meaningful use Stage 2 - what some are calling a "sneak peek."

ONC director Farzad Mostashari, MD, is scheduled to join other ONC and CMS officials to introduce the much-anticipated rule.

The session was originally slated for Tuesday, said Tom Leary, HIMSS’ senior director for federal affairs, but federal officials contacted HIMSS last week and asked that it be moved to give them more time to complete the proposal.

“They’ve been working real hard to make sure that they can be ready,” Leary said. “I’m 80 percent confident that the 9:45 session is going to be an important one.”

According to a source familiar with the process, officials can’t comment on proposed regulations until they’re ready for publication in the federal register. ONC officials will be presenting the Stage 2 proposal to the federal register Wednesday morning, at the same time as Mostashari is expected to be presenting details to HIMSS12 attendees.

The actual written proposal could be available in the federal register as early as this afternoon, but the more likely scenario is that it will not be available until Thursday morning.