The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the original planned date by which all physicians who are attesting for Medicare Meaningful Use in 2013 has been extended from 11:59 pm ET on February 28 to 11:59 pm ET March 31. CMS delayed the date because the attestation system has been experiencing a number of problems which have precluded some physicians from submitting their attestation data. Concerns were raised that physicians would miss the attestation deadline and thus the opportunity for an incentive unless more time was given. Physicians who are seeking to attest should visit the CMS registration and attestation system. The EHR Information Center can be reached at 1-888-734-6433 and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (Central Time), except federal holidays. CMS has provided the below tips on attesting:
• Ensure that your payment assignment and other relevant information is up to date in the Medicare payment system PECOS
• Make sure to include a valid email address in your EHR program registration
• Consider logging on to use the attestation system during non-peak hours such as evenings and weekends
• Log on to the registration and attestation system now and ensure that your information is up to date and begin entering your 2013 data
• If you experience attestation problems, call the EHR Incentive Program Help Desk and report the problem
• If your organization has more than 1,000 providers assigned to a proxy user, use the PECOS system to designate additional proxies to facilitate attestation.
NOTE: The deadline extension applies only to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program. If you are participating in the Medicaid program you must contact your state for deadline information. If you are participating in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) you must still meet that programs’ deadline of February 28, 2014. If you have elected to participate in the EHR Incentive Program/PQRS eReporting pilot to electronically report your clinical quality measures and receive dual credit, the deadline applies ONLY to the MU “functional” objectives and the associated measures; it does NOT apply to the electronic reporting of CQM data through the Physician Quality Reporting System EHR Incentive Program Pilot. Medicare physicians should take care when entering their MU data into the attestation system. If they select the “eReporting Pilot option” then a physician will be required to submit their clinical quality measures (CQMs) electronically through the PQRS system separately. The Quality Help Desk can be reached 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. CT Monday – Friday at [email protected] / Phone: (866) 288-8912.
Meaningful Use Attestation Date Extended to 3/31/14
