Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption Deadline Extended - Again!

If you weren't sure you could get your application in to CMS by March 15 to request a hardship exemption to avoid the 2017 penalty, you now have a bit more time. 

In a recent statement, CMS announced that they were extending the deadline to give providers and hospitals more time to apply. The new deadline for eligible hospitals and providers is July 1.

If you are unable to attest for Meaningful Use for 2015, a hardship exemption would allow you to avoid a penalty beginning in 2017. You can find instructions and the application form on the CMS website.

As a reminder, the application was previously streamlined and allows you apply as an individual or as a group. You can apply for the hardship exemption if you were unable to meet meaningful use for one of these reasons:

1.  Insufficient Internet connectivity
2. Extreme and uncontrollable circumstances (natural disaster, practice closure, severe financial distress, EHR vendor certification issues)
3. Lack of control over the availability of a certified EHR
4. Lack of face-to-face patient interaction

You do not need to apply for a hardship exemption if:

1. If you are a new provider (Note: new to Medicare)
2. If you are a hospital employed provider
3. If you are in one of these specialties: Anesthesiology, Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, or Pathology

For more information on Meaningful Use, visit the Meaningful Use Resource Center.