On Feb. 26, CMS announed it was extending the deadline to apply for a hardship exception for its Medicare EHR Incentive Program from March 15 to July 1.
The deadline to attest to meaningful use for 2015 is March 11. Providers who expect not to attest for any one of a number of reasons considered valid by CMS -- for example, lack of face-to-face interaction or follow-up with patients or severe financial distress -- must file for a hardship exception to avoid being penalized for failing to attest.
"CMS is extending the deadline so providers have sufficient time to submit their applications to avoid adjustments to their Medicare payments in 2017," the agency announced.
There's been a lot of activity around hardship exceptions in recent weeks. In January, CMS put out "streamlined" hardship exception application forms. On Feb. 10, CMS provided guidance on the hardship exception for low broadband communities. On Feb. 18, CMS published a new FAQ that specified that, contrary to common understanding, applying for the exception "will not prevent a provider from earning an incentive if their attestation is in fact successful. Follow Part B News to stay on top of future meaningful use changes.