Providers interested in applying for a Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception or Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception for the 2019 Performance Year of MIPS must submit an application to CMS by Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
Who is Eligible for a Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception?
MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups may qualify for a re-weighting of the Promoting Interoperability performance category to 0% if they:
• Are a small practice;
• Have decertified EHR technology;
• Have insufficient Internet connectivity;
• Face extreme and uncontrollable circumstances such as disaster, practice closure, severe financial distress, or vendor issues; or
• Lack control over the availability of CEHRT
Note: Providers not MIPS eligible are already exempt from reporting Promoting Interoperability and don’t need to apply.
Who is Eligible for an Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception?
MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups may qualify for a re-weighting of any or all MIPS performance categories to 0% if they are affected by extreme and uncontrollable circumstances extending beyond the Promoting Interoperability performance category. These circumstances must render them unable to:
• Collect information necessary to submit for a performance category; or
• Submit information that would be used to score a performance category for an extended period of time.
Note: Individual MIPS eligible clinicians (not groups or virtual groups) will receive the exception automatically if they are located in a CMS-designated region that has been affected by an extreme and uncontrollable event during the 2019 MIPS Performance Year. These clinicians will not need to apply for the exception.
How do I Know if I’m Approved?
If you submit an application for either of the exceptions, you will be notified by email if your request was approved or denied. If approved, this will also be added to your eligibility profile on the QPP Participation Status Tool, but may not appear in the tool until the submission window is open in 2020.
For More Information
• Visit the Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception and Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception QPP webpages for more information and links to each application.
• Download the 2019 Exceptions FAQs to learn more about these exceptions.
• Check out the 2019 MIPS Automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy Fact Sheet to learn more about who automatically receives the exception.
• Contact the Quality Payment Program at QPP@cms.hhs.gov or 1-866-288-8292 (TTY: 1-877-715-6222). To receive assistance more quickly, consider calling during non-peak hours—before 10 AM and after 2 PM ET.