Reminder: November 30 Deadline for EHR Incentive Program
Hardship Exception Applications
To Avoid 2015 Medicare Reimbursement Payment Reductions
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reopened the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals to avoid the 2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating meaningful use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The new deadline is 11:59pm ET November 30, 2014.
Please note that those DCs who successfully attested for the 2013 calendar year of Meaningful Use (MU) are automatically excluded from the 2015 payment reductions and no action is required. However, those DCs who did not attest for 2013 OR did not complete their first year of MU participation and attest by October 1, 2014, would have to complete a hardship exception application in order to avoid the 2015 payment reductions.
While all Medicare physicians have until February 28, 2015 to attest to any 90-day reporting period in 2014 to obtain an incentive, October 1, 2014 was the date Medicare physicians who started Meaningful Use for the first time in 2014 had to have attested to avoid a penalty of up to 2% in 2015. Now, certain physicians are eligible to file for a hardship exception by November 30, and if granted an exception, will avoid the 2015 penalty.
The ACA is also encouraging all DCs who meet the following criteria to complete and submit the hardship exception application by the November deadline:
- The provider was unable to attest by October 1, 2014 using the flexibility options provided in the CMS 2014 CEHRT Flexibility Rule; and
- The provider has been unable to fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT due to delays in 2014 Edition CEHRT availability.
Providers who would like to submit an application should review the following guidance:
- The application is available on the CMS Payment Adjustments and Hardship Exceptions web page.
- The completed application must be attached to an email and sent toehrhardship@provider-
resources.com - Providers without internet connectivity can submit this application and all supporting documentation via fax to (814) 464-0147.
For more information about the Electronic Health Records, please visit www.acatoday.org/EHR.
