CMS's 2013 e-Prescribing Program penalty for non-successful e-prescribers will be 1.5 percent of all fee-for-service payments under Medicare Part B. If you have not done so already, now is the time to avoid the payment reduction. To avoid the 2013 penalty, you must do one of the following:
- Submit 10 unique e-Prescribing events by June 30, 2012
- Submit a hardship exemption by June 30, 2012, providing you meet one of four exemption criteria. To submit a hardship exemption request, visit ww.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt/community/communications_support_system/234
- Become a successful electronic prescriber in 2012 by submitting 25 unique e-Prescribing events during the current calendar year. Ten of these events need to be submitted by June 30, though, in order to avoid the payment adjustment. Becoming a successful electronic prescriber in 2012 will not only avoid the 1.5 percent penalty for 2013 but also makes you eligible for a 1 percent incentive for 2012 Part B services. It will also automatically exempt you from the 2 percent penalty in 2014; or
- You were a successful e-prescriber in 2011 and received the 1 percent incentive, which automatically exempts you from the 2013 penalty
Please note that providers who are participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use) are not eligible to also earn an e-prescribing bonus, however those providers may still be subject to e-Prescribing penalties. If you're earning the Medicare Meaningful Use incentive payment, be sure to also take the necessary steps to avoid next year's 1.5 percent e-Prescribing penalty.
The AMA has developed a comprehensive eRx tip sheet, available at www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/hit/avoid-erx-penalty-tip.pdf, which details the hardship exemption criteria and how to file a request, explains what is involved in submitting a unique eRx event, and provides links to other resources.