The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) announced last week an extension of the 2019 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting deadline to 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 30. The extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy has also been updated to automatically apply to any MIPS-eligible providers who do not submit data by the revised deadline. All providers who are MIPS eligible and do not submit data by the revised deadline will receive a neutral payment adjustment for the 2021 payment year.
On Friday, April 3, CMS announced an update to the QPP Participation Status Tool that will show eligible clinicians if the extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy applies to them. Additionally, CMS has reopened the MIPS extreme and uncontrollable circumstances application through Thursday, April 30, 2020. Per CMS, “An application submitted between April 3 and April 30, 2020, citing COVID-19, will override any previous data submission.” The provider or practice will then also receive a neutral payment adjustment in 2021.
More information on these updates to CMS policy can be found in the Quality Payment Program – COVID-19 Response Fact Sheet. Questions can be directed to CMS at 866-288-8292, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. EDT or by email at [email protected].