The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to receive inquiries about the Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program and the 2012 eRx payment adjustment. This message seeks to clarify the issues CMS has heard from physicians and other healthcare professionals.
Statutory Authority/Background
CMS is required to adjust the payments of eligible professionals who are not successful electronic prescribers beginning in 2012. This requirement is outlined in Section 132 of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA).
CMS listed the requirements for being a successful e-prescriber for purposes of avoiding the 2012 payment adjustment in the 2011 Physician Fee Schedule final rule. In February 2012, all eligible professionals who did not meet these requirements were sent a letter notifying them of this fact.
Significant Hardship Exemption
Requests In response to stakeholder feedback, CMS also published a standalone eRx rule on Tue Sep 6, 2011, to provide additional circumstances under which eligible professionals would qualify for hardship exemptions. Eligible professionals initially had until Tue Nov 1, 2011, to submit a request for a hardship exemption for the 2012 eRx payment adjustment via the newly-created Quality Reporting Communication Support Page; this deadline was later extended to Tue Nov 8, 2011. CMS finished its review of these requests in February 2012 and continues to notify requestors via email whether their request was approved or denied.
Questions and Concerns
Although there is no appeal or review process established for the eRx Incentive Program and payment adjustment, CMS encourages eligible professionals with questions or concerns about the eRx payment adjustment and hardship exemption requests to contact the QualityNet Help Desk. Through the QualityNet Help Desk, CMS is working with eligible professionals and CMS-selected group practices that have questions about eRx payment adjustments and/or hardship exemption decisions. CMS is handling all hardship exemption requests and any questions or concerns on a case-by-case basis.
Contact the QualityNet Help Desk if you have issues relating to the eRx payment adjustment and/or the rationale for denial of your hardship exemption request The QualityNet Help Desk can be reached Mon – Fri, 7am-7pm CMT, at 866-288-8912 or [email protected]. 2013 & 2014 eRx Payment Adjustment Please note that payment adjustments under the eRx Incentive Program run until 2014.
For information on how to avoid the 2013 and 2014 eRx payment adjustments, please visit the Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program webpage and review MLN Matters Article #SE1206.
