Extension for EPs Participating in PQRS via EHR and QCDR

cmsGOV-150The following is email communication from CMS.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pleased to announce that the submission deadlines for the PQRS reporting methods below have been extended. All other submission timeframes for other PQRS reporting methods remain the same.

The revised submission deadline is March 20, 2015 at 8 pm ET for the following reporting methods:

  • EHR Direct or Data Submission Vendor that is certified EHR technology (CEHRT)
  • Qualified clinical data registries (QCDRs) (using QRDA III format) reporting for PQRS and the clinical quality measure (CQM) component of meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program

An Individuals Authorized Access to CMS Computer Services (IACS) account with the “PQRS Submitter Role” is required for these PQRS data submission methods. Please see the IACS Quick Reference Guides for specifics.

PQRS provides an incentive payment to individual eligible professionals (EPs) and group practices that satisfactorily participate or satisfactorily report data on quality measures for covered Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services. Additionally, those who do not meet the 2014 PQRS reporting requirements will be subject to a negative payment adjustment on all Medicare Part B PFS services rendered in 2016.

Note: The deadline listed above does apply to individual EPs and Group Practices participating in other CMS programs such as the Medicare EHR Incentive Program and Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative that are utilizing the reporting methods listed above. Additionally, CMS has extended the deadline for EPs wishing to attest to meaningful use for the EHR reporting period in 2014 for the Medicare Electronic EHR Incentive Program to March 20, 2015. Please be on the lookout for a separate listserv with information regarding the attestation extension.

For questions, please contact the QualityNet Help Desk 1-866-288-8912 or via email at Qnetsupport@hcqis.org from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. CT.

Complete information about PQRS is available on the CMS website.