March 11, 2016 (formerly February 29, 2016)
–Attestations to the MedicareEHR Incentive Program must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET
–Alternate Attestation Option – An Alternate Method of Attestation is Available for Certain Medicaid Providers through the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System
In the final rule for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the proposal to allow certain Medicaid eligible professionals (EPs) to use an alternate option of attesting through the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System for the purpose of avoiding the Medicare payment adjustment (80 FR 62900 through 62901).
To attest to the EHR Incentive Program requirements, Medicare EPs are required to use the Registration and Attestation System while Medicaid EPs are typically required to visit their state Medicaid agency’s website.
Beginning in 2015, Medicaid EPs who have previously received an incentive payment under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, but will fail to meet the eligibility requirements for the program in subsequent years, will be allowed to attest using the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation system for the purpose of avoiding the Medicare payment adjustment.
Note: There are no changes to the EHR Incentive Program Registration and Attestation System for the alternate attestation method.
For more information on who can participate in the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program and state milestones, visit the Medicaid State Information page on the CMS website.
For additional information please visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website and the Kentucky Medicaid EHR Incentive Program website for additional information.
February 29, 2016
–Deadline to register your intent for Public Health participation is February 29, 2016 If you have a provider who needs to utilize the specialized registry option for 1 of their 2 required public health measures, the Specialized Registry would likely only be needed for providers who: 1) Do not perform immunizations & therefore cannot use the Immunization Registry as a public health choice and 2) Do not diagnose or treat cancer and therefore cannot use the Kentucky Health Information Exchange Cancer Registry as a specialized registry option. All providers should be able to use Syndromic Surveillance as 1 of their public health options, as long as the needed documents are signed with the Kentucky Health Information Exchange. If you have providers in your practice who do not perform immunizations, and need a specialized registry as their second Public Health option, please review and ensure your specialized registry agreements are completed by February 29, 2016.
February 29, 2016
–Payment Reconsideration Form – if you have a provider who has a received a payment adjustment letter for a 2016 payment adjustment based on the 2014 attestation year, and you believe this is error, you can file a reconsideration application.
March 15, 2016*now July 1, 2016
The CMS has extended the deadline for hospitals, critical access hospitals, physicians and other eligible professionals to file applications for so-called “hardship” exemptions from the meaningful-use requirements of the EHR incentive payment program. The new deadline is July 1, 2016.
Hardship Exception Application for Providers – If you plan on filing a hardship for any of your providers that are not attesting for the 2015 program year, that deadline is March 15th.
Visit the CMS Website to Apply for a Hardship Exception for 2015
CMS has launched important changes to the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program hardship exception process that will reduce burdens on clinicians, hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs). These changes are a result of recent Medicare legislation – the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act (PAMPA), Pub. L. No. 114-115 – and the agency’s ongoing efforts to improve the program.
CMS has released FAQ #12845 and FAQ# 14113 outlining the documentation requirements for submitting the new hardship application to avoid the 2017 payment adjustment.
Eligible Professionals who are subject to the Meaningful Use Medicare Payment Adjustment:
- Doctor of medicine or osteopathy
- Doctor of optometry
- Doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine
- Chiropractor
- Doctor of podiatry
April 1, 2016*now July 1, 2016
The CMS has extended the deadline for hospitals, critical access hospitals, physicians and other eligible professionals to file applications for so-called “hardship” exemptions from the meaningful-use requirements of the EHR incentive payment program. The new deadline is July 1, 2016.
Hardship Exception Application for Hospitals & CAH – If you plan on filing a hardship for your hospitals that are not attesting for the 2015 program year, that deadline is April 1st.
Visit the CMS Website to Apply for a Hardship Exception for 2015
May 31, 2016
–Medicaid Attestation Deadline Medicaid attestation deadline to submit Medicaid EHR Incentive attestations. Please refer to the Kentucky EHR Incentive program website for more information – http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/ehr.htm
As always, if you as a provider have questions about Meaningful Use, the Kentucky REC team is here to help. Just give us a call at 859-323-3090 or email us your questions.
