CMS Extends 2013 Meaningful Use Attestation Deadline for Eligible Professionals

On Feb. 7, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) extended by one month the deadline for eligible professionals to attest to meaningful use for the 2013 Medicare EHR Incentive Program year. The deadline was extended from 11:59 p.m. EST on Feb. 28, 2014 to 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2014. The extension does not impact the reporting deadlines for eligible professionals attesting to the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program or the Physician Quality Reporting Systems Incentive Pilot Program.

A CMS spokesperson explained: “We are seeing extraordinary interest from healthcare providers participating in the Electronic Heath Records Incentive Programs, and to help ensure all eligible healthcare providers are able to receive their incentive payments, we are extending the attestation deadline for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program by one month for professionals.” The extension will allow providers more time to submit their meaningful use data and receive an incentive payment for the 2013 program year, as well as avoid the 2015 payment adjustment.

While the one month extension applies only to eligible professionals, CMS is also offering hospitals attestation assistance in response to complaints regarding technical issues with the EHR Registration and Attestation website. Eligible hospitals that may have missed their reporting deadline have an opportunity to submit their attestation retroactively in order to avoid the 2015 payment adjustment. Hospitals wishing to receive such assistance must contact CMS at EH2013Extension@Provider-Resources.com by 11:59 p.m. on March 15. CMS plans to contact the point person each hospital designates to provide them additional instruction regarding their 2013 attestation submission.