CMS: It's not too late to avoid payment adjustment

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants eligible providers (EPs) to know it’s not too late to avoid the payment adjustment designed to penalize those who are not meaningful users of EHRs.

Surveys indicate general awareness about payment adjustments but providers lack further details, said Robert Anthony, health insurance specialist in the Office of E-Health Standards and Services (OESS) at the CMS, in an interview with Clinical Innovation + Technology.

EPs can become meaningful users in 2013, he said. 2013 would be their first year and they must allow for a 90-day reporting period within 2013. EPs can become meaningful users under Medicare or Medicaid. Most people, if eligible, choose to participate under Medicaid and payment adjustment only applies on the Medicare side.

“We would love to see people come into [Meaningful Use] in 2013,” said Anthony. “However, if for whatever reason they are not able to become a meaningful user, they can still avoid payment adjustment in 2014. They have to do 90-day reporting and attest within the first nine months of the calendar year. October 1, 2014, is the absolute hard deadline for payment adjustments.”

The message is two-fold: it’s not too late and, if EPs attest as they normally would this year for their first year, they can avoid payment adjustments.

“We encourage people to get started now,” Anthony said. “EPs can receive incentive payment if they start the Meaningful Use program in 2014 but it’s small relative to what they could get. If they start in 2013, they could get three years of incentive payments plus avoid payment adjustments. It’s a win-win.”

Anthony encouraged EPs to make use of the Meaningful Use tip sheets that provide an overview of the process and the FAQs. There have been several questions about hardship exemptions, he said, but “right now the process by which you would apply for an exception isn’t open yet. That will open next year and we will provide more information about what documentation will be required once we open that.”