The deadline for Medicare EHR Incentive Program hardship exceptions has been pushed back, giving eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals (EHs) and critical access hospitals (CAHs) more time to file applications, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
CMS, on Friday, said the new deadline will be July 1; the deadline originally was March 15 for EPs, and April 1 for EHs and CAHs.
The agency is extending the deadline "so providers have sufficient time to submit their applications to avoid adjustments to their Medicare payments in 2017," CMS said.
In late January, CMS unveiled the process for EPs and EHs to apply for the new "flexible" hardship exemption for the 2015 Meaningful Use reporting year created by the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act.
Under the new process, providers can use a new streamlined application form for the hardship exemption that reduces the amount of information needed to apply.
For more:
- apply here