CMS extends 2014 MU deadline for eligible hospitals

The 2014 deadline for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to attest to meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extended from November 30 to December 31, 2014 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

This extension will allow more time for hospitals to submit their meaningful use data and receive an incentive payment for the 2014 program year, as well as avoid the 2016 Medicare payment adjustment, according to CMS.

The deadline for eligible hospitals and CAHs that are electronically submitting clinical quality measures (CQMs) to meet the requirement of meaningful use and the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program has also been extended by CMS. The agency said in a written statement that hospitals now have until December 31 to submit their eCQM data via Quality Net.

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 CMS urged Medicare eligible hospitals and CAHs to use the Registration and Attestation System to submit their attestation for meaningful use. The system, noted CMS, is open and fully operational and includes the 2014 Certified EHR Technology (CEHRT) Flexibility Rule options.

 Medicare eligible hospitals and CAHs can attest for 2014 through December 31, 2014 to meet the new deadline, said CMS.

Eligible providers can call the EHR Information Center at 1-888-734-6433  Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. central time, except on federal holidays, for assistance. Resources are also available online.

EHR incentive programs provide payments to eligible professionals and eligible hospitals if they demonstrate adoption, implementation, upgrading, or meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

CMS also announced in October that it has reopened the submission period for hardship exception applications for eligible professionals and eligible hospitals to avoid the 2015 Medicare payment adjustments for not demonstrating meaningful use of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT). The new deadline is November 30, 2014. The hardship is open to:

• Eligible Professionals or Eligible Hospitals that are new to the EHR Incentive Program and have been unable to fully implement 2014 edition certified electronic health records technology (CEHRT) due to delays in 2014 edition CEHRT availability.

• Eligible Professionals who were unable to attest by October 1, 2014 and Eligible Hospitals that were unable to attest by July 1, 2014 using the flexibility options provided by the CMS 2014 CEHRT Flexibility Rule.