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AMA reminds physicians to file Medicare e-prescribing exemptions
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 17, 2011
Eligible physicians who could not meet Medicare electronic prescribing requirements for 2011 are being urged to file for a hardship exemption before a Nov. 1 deadline, the American Medical Association said.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services required physicians and other health professionals to report at least 10 e-prescriptions on Medicare claims between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2011. Physicians who did not meet the threshold will face a 1% payment reduction in 2012.
"Although we remain concerned that physicians are not being given enough time to comply with the e-prescribing program criteria, the AMA wants to ensure that physicians who are not able to meet program requirements are aware of this upcoming exemption deadline so they can avoid penalties," said AMA Immediate Past President Cecil B. Wilson, MD.
The Medicare agency has created hardship exemptions that allow physicians to prevent penalties. Exemptions include inability to electronically prescribe due to state or federal law, limited prescribing activity and insufficient opportunities to report e-prescribing.
Exemptions for individual physicians must be filed online (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/10/17/gvbf1017.htm.
