Apply by Dec. 31 for MIPS Reporting Exceptions
By Ellen Terry

Did your practice face an unusual extreme hardship this year? Do you practice in a rural area with poor internet connectivity?

If so, you could qualify for an exception to the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting requirements for the 2019 performance year. The application deadline is Dec. 31. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Quality Payment Program (QPP) provides these exceptions for circumstances out of your control that make it difficult for you to meet MIPS program requirements: 

• You might qualify for the Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception if your practice is unable to acquire and use electronic health record technology. If you are approved for the exception, CMS will reweight the Promoting Interoperability performance category from 25% to 0% for your reporting; the 25% weighting of this category will be reallocated to the Quality performance category.
• The Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception might apply if your practice experienced a disaster, closure, severe financial distress, or vendor issues. Qualifying for this exception results in a reweight of any or all MIPS performance categories to 0% for your reporting.

MIPS-eligible physicians, groups, and virtual groups can apply for either exception. You will be notified by email if your request is approved or denied. An approved exception will be reflected in your eligibility profile on the QPP Participation Status Tool (but may not appear in the tool until the submission window is open in 2020).

Download the 2019 Exceptions FAQs to learn more about these exceptions.

If you have questions, contact the TMA Knowledge Center by email or at (800) 880-7955, or contact the Quality Payment Program at QPP@cms.hhs.gov or (866) 288-8292.