On Friday, February 26, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an extension of the application deadline for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exceptions. The new deadline for Eligible Professionals (Eps), Eligible Hospitals (EHs), and Critical Access Hospitals CAHs)is July 1, 2016. CMS states that they are “extending the deadline so providers have sufficient time to submit their applications to avoid adjustments to their Medicare payments in 2017. “ It should be noted that the 2017 adjustments to which this applies are based on failure to successfully attest to 90 continuous days of meaningful use in 2015.
In January, CMS posted new guidance and a streamlined hardship exception application, lowering the burden on EPs, EHs, and CAHs who were impacted by the lateness of the 2015 modification rule. Under the new process, providers must submit an application as in the past. However, the application process does not require submission of evidence* and exceptions will not be subject to case-by-case review as in the past.
The applications and instructions for providers seeking a hardship exception are available from CMS here.
*Please note: pursuant to CMS guidance, NextGen Healthcare will not be providing letters in support of hardship exception application filings.