On February 25th, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that eligible professionals (EPs) now have until 11:59 pm ET on March 20th to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program for the 2014 reporting year. The original attestation date was February 28th. The extension also allows EPs to use their one ‘switch’, to switch programs (from Medicare to Medicaid, or vice versa) for the 2014 payment year. Physicians who successfully attest to EHR meaningful use for 2014 will receive an incentive payment and avoid a Medicare payment penalty.

For more information on CMS meaningful use registration and attestation, click here.

Additionally, CMS extended the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) submission deadline for the EHR and Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) reporting options to March 20th at 8 pm ET for individual EPs and group practices that choose to report or participate. All other reporting method submission deadlines remain the same. Those who participate or satisfactorily report data are eligible for incentive payment. Those who do not meet the 2014 PQRS reporting requirements will be subject to a negative payment adjustment for all Medicare Part B services in 2016. If your group failed to register for the Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) by October 2, 2014, your group can still avoid the 2% Value Modifier payment adjustment in 2016 if the eligible professionals in the group participate in the PQRS as individuals, and at least 50% of the eligible professionals meet the requirements to avoid the CY 2016 PQRS payment adjustment.

For more information on Physician Quality Reporting System, click here.

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