Physicians and other eligible professionals have been given an extra month to attest to the “meaningful use” EHR Incentive Program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday.
CMS pushed the February 28 deadline to 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2014. However, attesters still must be able to prove that they met the criteria by December 31, 2013—the end of the reporting period—according to CMS. Additionally, the agency said it would be offering assistance to hospitals that might have had trouble attesting to submit their attestation retroactively and avoid the 2015 payment adjustment.
In its e-alert, CMS said the extended deadline also would allow more time for providers to submit their meaningful use data and receive an incentive payment for the 2013 program year, as well as avoid the 2015 payment adjustment. To take advantage of this measure, hospitals should contact CMS for assistance by 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 2014.
