CMS Releases Streamlined Hardship Applications for the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released streamlined hardship applications for the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program for the 2015 reporting period in response to the passage of the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act in December 2015. This law expanded the available hardship exemptions and established that the Secretary could consider hardship exceptions for “categories” of eligible professionals (EPs) and eligible hospitals (EHs) that were identified by CMS.

Physician anesthesiologists with the Provider, Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) Anesthesiology specialty designation of “05” have an automatic hardship exemption and do not need to complete a hardship exemption form. Pain medicine physicians and other physicians who may participate in Meaningful Use can find the hardship applications on the CMS website.

The applications for EPs are due on March 15, 2016. The applications for EHs and CAHs are due on April 1, 2016.

Please visit the ASA Quality and Regulatory Affairs website for more information regarding the EHR Incentive Program. Other materials related to the EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use) are located on CMS and ONC websites, including several reference tools to guide EPs through the initial assessment stages

For additional information, please contact the ASA Department of Quality and Regulatory Affairs (QRA) at (202) 289-2222 or via e-mail [email protected].