Eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals may be exempt from Medicare penalties if they can demonstrate that use of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology under the EHR Incentive Programs – now called the Promoting Interoperability Programs – would result in significant hardship.
To be considered for an exemption and avoid a payment adjustment, health care providers must complete a hardship exception application and provide proof of hardship. If approved, the hardship exception is valid for only one payment year.
The deadline for eligible hospitals to submit the 2019 hardship application is July 1. The completed application and all supporting documentation must be attached to an email and sent to ehrhardship@cms.hhs.gov. All hardship exception determinations will be returned via email from ehrhardship@cms.hhs.gov to the email address provided on the application.
