CMS Extends PQRS EHR and Meaningful Use Reporting Deadlines

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced extensions to: (1) the deadline for submitting data using the 2016 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) EHR reporting mechanism; and (2) the attestation deadline for the 2016 Medicare EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use).

CMS has extended the deadline for the PQRS EHR reporting mechanism to 8:00 pm (Eastern time) on March 31, 2017. This extension applies only to the EHR reporting mechanism, which requires individual eligible professionals and PQRS group practices to submit Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) files (Category I or Category III) to CMS containing data for the quality measures they wish to report for the 2016 reporting period. PQRS-eligible professionals who do not satisfactorily report 2016 quality measure data to meet the PQRS requirements will be subject to a downward PQRS payment adjustment on all Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule services rendered in 2018. Importantly, later this year, individual PQRS-eligible professionals and PQRS group practices will receive feedback reports from CMS on whether they satisfactorily reported and if they are subject to the future downward payment adjustment. You can find more information on the PQRS program in our PQRS center.

Additionally, as of February 7, 2017, CMS also extended the attestation deadline for the 2016 reporting period for the Medicare Meaningful Use program. Individual Meaningful Use-eligible professionals now have until March 13, 2017 at 11:59pm (Eastern time) to submit their 2016 Meaningful Use reporting period data to CMS. Find more information by visiting our Meaningful Use center.

Practice Fusion has updated all of our attestation resources to guide you in PQRS reporting and attesting for Meaningful Use for 2016. Review these resources and attest and/or report before the relevant deadlines in order to earn potential incentives and avoid future negative payment adjustments on your Medicare Part B reimbursements.

New PQRS and Medicare EHR Incentive Program Key Dates