Deadline for Avoiding the eRx Payment Adjustment Approaching at End of the Month

June 18, 2013 By

The June 30, 2013 deadline to participate in the Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (“eRx”) and avoid the 2014 eRx payment adjustment is fast approaching.  Eligible Professionals (“EP’) looking to avoid the 2% payment adjustment in 2014 (payment adjustment means that EPs will only receive 98% of his/her Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule amount for covered professional services),  must either participate in the eRx program, fall under the exclusion criteria, or file for a hardship exemption by June 30, 2013.  Information regarding participation in the eRx program can be found here.

Exclusions

The following EPs will not be subject to the 2014 eRx payment adjustment if any one of the following applies:

  1. EP successfully participates in the eRx program during the 2012 12-month reporting period (1/1/12 – 12/31/12).
  2. EP is not an MD, DO, podiatrist, Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant.
  3. EP does not have at least 100 Medicare Part B PFS cases containing the encounter code in the measure’s denominator between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.
  4. EP does not have 10% or more of their charges as Medicare Part B PFS allowable charges for encounter codes in the measure’s denominator during between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.
  5. EP does not have prescribing privileges and reported GT8644 on a payable Medicare Part B service on at least once on a claim between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.
  6. EP submits at least 10 eRx and reports the G-code G8553 between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.
  7. EP achieves Meaningful Use under the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program during 2012 or between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013 (and attests before 6/30/2013).
  8. EP demonstrates by registration of their intent to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program during the 1/1/13-6/30/13 reporting period.
  9. EP submits one hardship exemption G-code via any payable Medicare Part B PFS claim between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.
  10. EP request and CMS approves a hardship exemption.

Hardship Exemptions

EPs may be exempted from the payment adjustment if it is determined that compliance would result in a significant hardship.  Hardship exemptions must be submitted by June 30, 2013.  Such exemptions include:

  1. EP’s inability to electronically prescribe due to state, federal or local law or regulation. (Submit using the Communication Support Page)
  2. EP prescribes fewer than 100 prescriptions in a six month payment adjustment reporting period.  (Submit using the Communication Support Page)
  3. EP practices in a rural area without sufficient high speed internet access .  (Submit using the Communication Support Page or use G8642 in at least one claim between 1/1/13-6/30/13)
  4. EP practices in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for eRx.  (Submit using the Communication Support Page or use G8643 in at least one claim between 1/1/13-6/30/13)
  5. EP achieves Meaningful Use under the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program.
  6. EP demonstrates their intent to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program during the 1/1/13-6/30/13 reporting period.
  7. EP does not have prescribing privileges between 1/1/2013-6/30/2013.  (File at least one claim with G8644 on a payable Medicare Part B service between 1/1/13-6/30/13)

Requesting a Hardship Exemption

To submit a hardship request, EPs must access the Communication Support Page located here (look at upper-left hand corner once on the site).  CMS suggests that when submitting a hardship, EPs should provide detailed justifications for the hardships.

Those hardships with G-codes may also be submitted by EPs on a claim with a payable Medicare Part B service during the six-month reporting period (1/1/13-6/30/13).

EPs that achieve Meaningful Use under the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program or demonstrate their intent to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Program during the 1/1/13-6/30/13 reporting period will be determined by CMS through review of the EHR Incentive Program Attestation and Registration system.  CMS will automatically determine if these exemptions apply.

Group practices participating in 2013 eRx GPRO must indicate hardship exemptions during self-nominations/registration or submit an exemption request via the Communication Support Page (listed above).

For more information on eRx or other incentive programs please contact Elana Zana.

 

Filed Under: e-Prescribing, EHR, Medicare Tagged With: , , ,

2013: A Critical Year for Medicare Incentive Programs

April 15, 2013 By

Amid all the recent attention given to the long-awaited modifications to HIPAA under the HITECH Act published earlier this year, it may be easy for Medicare providers to overlook the fact that 2013 is an important year for three Medicare payment incentive programs:  (1) the Physician Quality Reporting System Program; (2) the Electronic Prescribing Program; and (3) the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive Program.  As discussed below, there are important milestones and deadlines in 2013 for each of these programs associated with either receiving incentive payments or avoiding payment adjustments.

Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Program

The PQRS Program is intended to promote the reporting of quality information by eligible professionals (EPs).  The incentives and payment adjustments for the PQRS program are based on whether an EP satisfactorily reports data on program-specified quality measures for covered physician fee schedule (PFS) services furnished to Medicare Part B fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries.  EPs can qualify to receive an incentive based on the 2013 reporting year (i.e. January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013) equal to 0.5% of an EP’s total estimated Medicare PFS allowed charges for the 2013 reporting period.

The 2013 reporting year is also a critical year for the PQRS program because it is the first reporting year that will be used to apply the program’s payment adjustments.  Although the payment adjustments do not begin until 2015, the adjustments are based on information reported in the two-year “look back” reporting period, i.e., the 2013 reporting year for the 2015 payment adjustments, the 2014 reporting period for the 2016 payment adjustments, etc.  To avoid the payment adjustment for a particular year, an EP must satisfactorily report data in the applicable reporting period.  CMS will penalize EPs for failing to participate in the PQRS program in 2013 by reducing the 2015 Medicare PFS allowed charges by 1.5%.

Furthermore, one way an EP practicing in a group practice can report data for the PQRS program is through the group practice reporting option (GPRO).  Under the GPRO, a group practice may make PQRS reports for all individual EPs in the same group practice.  The deadline for a group practice to elect to report using the GPRO is October 15, 2013.

Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program

The eRx Incentive Program is intended to encourage electronic prescribing by EPs.  2013 is the last year that EPs who are successful e-prescribers can qualify to earn an incentive payment.  The incentive payment for 2013 is equal to 0.5% percent of an EP’s total estimated Medicare PFS allowed charges for the 2013 reporting period (i.e., January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013).  At the same time, the 2013 six-month reporting period from January 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013 is the final reporting period to avoid the 2014 eRx payment adjustment.  The 2014 payment adjustment for EPs who are not successful e-prescribers is equal to 2.0% of the EP’s Medicare PFS allowed charges.  An EP may be exempt from the 2014 eRx payment adjustment if the EP meets one of the payment adjustment exclusion criteria or the EP requests and CMS approves a hardship exemption.  An EP must qualify for one of the 2014 payment adjustment exclusion criteria or submit a hardship exemption request to CMS by June 30, 2013 to avoid the 2014 payment adjustment.

Medicare EHR Incentive Program

This program is intended to encourage Medicare EPs, hospitals and critical access hospitals to achieve “meaningful use” of certified EHR technology.  Payment adjustments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program begin in 2015.  However, because of the two-year “look back” period adopted by CMS for the adjustments, EPs must demonstrate “meaningful use” in 2013 to avoid payment adjustment in 2015.  EPs who first demonstrate meaningful use in 2013 must demonstrate meaningful use for a 90-day reporting period in 2013 to avoid payment adjustments in 2015.  This means that October 3, 2013 is the last day for EPs who are demonstrating meaningful use for the first time to begin their 90-day reporting period.  EPs who first demonstrated meaningful use in 2011 or 2012 must demonstrate meaningful use for the full year in 2013 to avoid the 2015 payment adjustments.  The payment adjustment amount for 2015 is 1% of the EP’s PFS allowed charges for services furnished by the EP in 2015.

Summary of Key 2013 Dates:

June 30, 2013:

  • eRX: End of the 2013 six-month reporting period to avoid the 2014 payment adjustment
  • eRx: Last day for an EP to submit hardship exemption request to CMS to avoid the 2014 payment adjustment

October 3, 2013:

  • Medicare EHR: Last day for EPs to begin 90-day reporting period for Medicare EHR incentive (if 2013 is the EP’s first year of program participation)

October 15, 2013:

  • PQRS:  Deadline for group practices to submit self-nomination statement for group reporting option for PQRS program
  • PQRS:  Last day for EPs to elect the administrative claims option to avoid the 2015 PQRS payment adjustment

December 31, 2013:

  • PQRS:  End of period to avoid the 2015 PQRS payment adjustment
  • PQRS, eRx, Medicare EHR:  Participation year ends for all programs

In sum, Medicare providers should take note of the above dates related to the PQRS, eRx and Medicare EHR Incentive Programs, especially those dates associated with actions which they will need to take or achieve in order to avoid the applicable program payment adjustments beginning in 2015.

For more information about the Medicare incentive programs discussed above, please contact Lee Kuo.

 

Filed Under: e-Prescribing, Health Information Technology, HITECH, Incentive Payments, Medicare

eRx Hardship Exemption Requests Extension

November 13, 2012 By

On November 1st CMS extended the time period for eligible professionals to request a hardship exemption under the e-Prescribing Incentive Program.  Those eligible professionals that have made at least 10 electronic prescriptions (eRx) between January 1, 2012-June 30, 2012 (for certain CPT codes) will not be subject to the Medicare penalties, and those that have prescribed 25 in 2012 will receive an incentive payment under the program (unless they are receiving the Medicare EHR Incentive Program incentives).  However, there are some eligible professionals that due to “hardships” cannot participate in this program, and CMS acknowledges should not be penalized.  Current hardship exemption categories include:

1.  The inability to e-prescribe due to local, State or Federal law or regulation.

2.  Providers that prescribe fewer than 100 prescriptions between January 1st and June 30, 2012.

3.  Providers practicing in a rural area without sufficient high speed internet access.

4.  Providers practicing in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for eRx.

To apply for a hardship exemption click here.  CMS has added the following two new hardship exemption request categories:

5.  Eligible professionals who achieve meaningful use during certain eRx timeframes. For the 2013 eRx payment adjustment, this will include any eligible professional who achieved meaningful use during January 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 and has attested to this by January 31, 2013.

6.  Eligible professionals who demonstrate intent to participate in the EHR Incentive Program and adoption of Certified EHR Technology by registering for the EHR Incentive Program by January 31, 2013.  Please note: EHR Incentive Program participants must provide their entire EHR Certification Number  in the CMS EHR Certification ID field during registration to receive this hardship.

For these last two hardship exemption categories, eligible professionals do not have to apply through the Communications Support Page.  But instead must register and attest for the EHR Incentive Program by January 1, 2013.

If you have questions regarding the eRx program please contact Elana Zana.

Filed Under: e-Prescribing, Health Information Technology, Incentive Payments, Medicare Tagged With: , , ,