According to the letter, numerous physicians and other eligible professionals would be unfairly penalized starting on Jan. 1, 2012, unless specific modifications are made to the 2012 penalty program’s backdating of requiring reporting in 2011. The groups also said there are not enough exemption categories for physicians.
Other recommendations included an extension of the exemption deadline from Oct. 1, 2011, to Dec. 31, 2011; the establishment of an appeals process for EPs and group practices who have exemptions denied; the creation of a better mechanism for recouping money based on the e-prescribing penalty; the addition of an additional reporting period in 2012 to avoid the 2012 e-prescribing penalty; and others.
Read the groups’ letter to CMS about the e-prescribing incentive and penalty programs (pdf).
Related Articles on E-Prescribing:
HIT Standards Committee Attempts to Identify E-Prescribing Standards
Nearly 12 Percent of E-Prescriptions Contain Error, Study Shows
Study: E-Prescribing Systems Should Not Be Used to Identify Error-Prone Physicians
