On Tuesday, the Medical Group Management Association-American College of Medical Practice Executives sent a letter asking acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner to delay the deadline for submitting hardship exemptions for the federal electronic prescribing program, Modern Physician reports (Daly, Modern Physician, 5/16).
Background
Physicians must report submitting at least 10 electronic prescriptions by June 30 to avoid the 2013 reimbursement penalties through the Medicare e-prescribing program.
Physicians who do not report at least 10 e-prescribing encounters on claims for eligible services or file for an exemption in time face a 1.5% payment reduction for all Medicare claims in 2013 (iHealthBeat, 5/4).
Details of the Letter
In the letter, Susan Turney -- president and CEO of MGMA-ACMPE -- recommended that CMS extend the deadline for submitting hardship exemptions for the e-prescribing program from June 30, 2012, to Dec. 31, 2012.
The letter states that such an extension would allow physician practices to evaluate the effectiveness of their e-prescribing reporting in 2012 and avoid the penalties that would be imposed in 2013.
The physician group also called for CMS to "harmonize and simplify the various data reporting processes" for the e-prescribing program and other quality reporting-related initiatives, such as the meaningful use program.
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments (Modern Physician, 5/16).