Payment adjustments for eligible professionals that did not successfully participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program in 2014 will begin on January 1, 2016. Medicare eligible professionals can avoid the 2016 payment adjustment by taking action by July 1 and applying for a 2016 hardship exception.
The hardship exception applications and instructions for an individual and for multiple Medicare eligible professionals are available on the EHR Incentive Programs website, and outline the specific types of circumstances that CMS considers to be barriers to achieving meaningful use, and how to apply.
To file a hardship exception, you must:
• Show proof of a circumstance beyond your control.
• Explicitly outline how the circumstance significantly impaired your ability to meet meaningful use.
Supporting documentation must also be provided for certain hardship exception categories.
CMS will use Medicare data to determine your eligibility to be automatically granted a hardship exception.
Apply by July 1
As a reminder, the application must be submitted electronically or postmarked no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 1, 2015 to be considered.
If approved, the exception is valid for the 2016 payment adjustment only. If you intend to claim a hardship exception for a subsequent payment adjustment year, a new application must be submitted for the appropriate year.
Contact Kentucky REC for additional information. Call: 859-323-3090 or Email:
ky***@uk*.edu
