Application Deadline for Hardships is Extended

In October, CMS reopened the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals to avoid the 2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating meaningful use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT).

Eligible professionals that have never met meaningful use before may apply before November 30, 2014 if they were unable to fully implement 2014 Edition CEHRT due to delays in 2014 Edition CEHRT availability AND could not attest by the early attestation deadline for new participants.

Click here to learn more about the hardship exception application process and eligibility.

Click here for the actual hardship exception application.

2015 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

Recently there was a new rule made called The 2015 Physician Fee Schedule 2015 Final Rule. This rule included an Interim Final Rule with a request for public comment (IFC) related to the EHR Incentive Programs.  This IFC provisionally adopts changes to the regulatory language about hardship exceptions from the Medicare payment adjustment in the EHR Incentive Programs.

Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Congress mandated payment adjustment penalties under Medicare for eligible professionals that are not meaningful users of CEHRT.  The ARRA also allows however, the Secretary to consider on a case-by-case basis, hardship exceptions for eligible professionals to avoid the payment adjustment penalties.

The language in this new rule makes changes to the ARRA regulation to support the extension of the hardship application period.  Comments are due by December 30, 2014, and more information will be available when the rule is published in the Federal Register later this month.

Additional Resources

You can review the 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Rule fact sheet for more information about the regulatory changes to the EHR Incentive Programs by clicking here.

You can get more information about the EHR Incentive Programs by visiting the CMS EHR website here.

Disclaimer: AZCOMP Technologies, Inc, (AZCOMP) is providing this material as an informational reference for eligible professionals. Although every reasonable effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information within these pages at the time of posting, the Medicare/Medicaid programs are constantly changing, and it is the sole responsibility of each provider to remain abreast of  program requirements by consulting the authorities and documentation found directly at http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/index.html