CMS Medicare Attestation System Opens for the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for the 2016 Performance Year

On January 3, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Medicare Attestation System for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. Eligible professionals (EPs) who plan to attest to meaningful use in 2016 have through February 28, 2017 to complete their attestation. 

Physician anesthesiologists with the Provider, Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) anesthesiology specialty designation of “05” have an automatic hardship exemption and do not need to complete a hardship exemption form. As a result of ASA’s advocacy efforts, CMS created a hardship exemption for physician anesthesiologists as a part of the Meaningful Use Stage 2 Final Rule in 2012. This exemption allows physician anesthesiologists to avoid the payment penalties that began in 2015.  

Please visit the ASA Quality and Regulatory Affairs website for more information regarding the EHR Incentive Program. Other materials related to the EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use) are located on CMS and ONC websites, including several reference tools to guide EPs through the initial assessment stages. 

For additional information, please contact the ASA Department of Quality and Regulatory Affairs (QRA) at (202) 289-2222 or via e-mail at [email protected].