On Feb. 26, 2016 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it has extended the deadline for provider application for hardship exemption from the EHR Meaningful Use program. The new exemption deadline is set for July 1, 2016.
Applications and instructions for completing a hardship exemption request can be found on the CMS website. Acceptable reasons for requesting an exemption include but are not limited to insufficient internet connectivity, natural disaster, severe financial distress, and EHR certification or vendor issues. Providers who are unable to attest to meaningful use of EHR are encouraged to review the hardship exemption request to determine if any of the hardship exemptions are applicable.
Providers who do not attest to meaningful use and are not granted a hardship exemption will receive a negative payment adjustment for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule services billed throughout 2017.
