Changes to the Medicare EHR Incentive Program Hardship Exception Process

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted new, streamlined hardship applications on the Payment Adjustments and Hardship Information webpage, reducing the amount of information that eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) must submit to apply for an exception from the 2017 payment adjustment. Application timeline:

• Eligible Professionals: March 15, 2016
• Eligible Hospitals and CAHs: April 1, 2016

Groups of providers may apply for a hardship exception on a single application. Under the group application, multiple providers and provider types may apply together using a single submission. The hardship exception categories are the same as those applicable for the individual provider application.

Medicare EHR Hardship Exception Instructions

Medicare EHR Hardship Exception Application

Medicare EHR Hardship Exception Application (CAH)