The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed an electronic submission site for Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program hardship exemption requests. The request submission deadline is Nov. 1, but CMS has encouraged providers to submit requests as soon as possible so that the requests can be processed prior to Jan. 2012. To assist providers in completing the hardship exemption request, CMS has developed a Communication Support Page User Guide. For additional assistance, contact the QualityNet Help Desk at qnetsupport@sdps.org or 1-866-288-8912.
In a previous announcement about eRx hardship exemptions, the AASM reported that the Sept. 6 Federal Register included a final rule describing changes to the eRx Incentive Program. Beginning in 2012, providers who do not successfully prescribe electronically per Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements will receive a penalty of -1 percent of allowable changes. An article published by CMS in MLN Matters will help you determine if you are subject to the 2012 eRx payment adjustment. The final rule outlined six exemption categories for providers who are unable to successfully participate in the eRx program due to hardship. A Quick Reference Guide is available to help you understand the changes that the eRx Final Rule made to the 2011 Medicare eRx Incentive Program.
Coding Corner articles are archived on the Coding Page of the AASM website for future reference.
