E-RX Exemption Deadline Extended
Posted 11- 2-11
Deadline to apply for Medicare e-prescribing hardship exemption extended a week!
Many physicians had reported difficulty logging on to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Communication Support Page to activate their e-prescribing hardship extension. Because of this difficulty, CMS has pushed back its deadline to apply for an exemption until Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
File for a Hardship Exemption at this URL:
https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt/community/communications_support_system/234.
What to do if you have problems accessing the hardship exemption webpage
After reaching the hardship extension website, select Tools, then Internet Options, then Advanced in your internet browser. Scroll down toward the bottom and locate the “Use TLS 1.0” option. Place a checkmark next to “Use TLS 1.0.” Click OK. Attempt to access the site again.
If you still have trouble accessing the site, the QualityNet Help Desk may be reached at (866) 288-8912 or by email at qnetsupport@sdps.org from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday. Due to the high volume of calls the QualityNet Help Desk has been receiving, there may be a waiting period.
The hardship exemption categories include:
• Physician’s practice is located in a rural area without high-speed internet access.
• Physician’s practice is located in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for e-prescribing (CMS clarified by providing more examples including disruption of e-prescriptions between physician offices and pharmacies caused by natural disasters).
• Physician is registered to participate in the Medicare or Medicaid electronic health record (EHR) Incentive Program and you adopted certified EHR technology by October 1, 2011, and did so prior to requesting an exemption.
• Physician is unable to electronically prescribe due to local, state or federal law or regulations (physicians who mainly prescribe narcotics but due to certain limitations cannot submit these prescriptions electronically can apply for this exemption category).
• Physician infrequently prescribes (e.g., prescribe fewer than 10 prescriptions between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2011).
• There are insufficient opportunities to report the e-prescribing measure due to program limitations.
• Physicians can apply for more than one exemption category if applicable to their particular situation
Exemption requests from individual physicians will not be accepted via mail, email or fax. Group practices already participating in the 2011 e-prescribing group practice reporting option must submit an exemption request via mailed letter (group exemptions cannot be submitted online or via e-mail).
