CMS Mails E-prescribing Notices to Physicians

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has mailed notifications to physicians about the payment adjustments under the E-prescribing Incentive Program, regardless of whether physicians have applied for a hardship exemption.

Those physicians who have applied for an exemption will receive an email if their exemption has been approved. In the meantime, those physicians may still see a one percent payment reduction. In those cases, CMS will have to confirm the approval and then it will take up to 45 days to reprocess the claims.

Complaints are beginning to generate from physicians who have been subjected to the one percent reduction in cases where their hardship was approved and in cases where the physician successfully e-prescribed under the program's requirements. The one percent payment reduction should only apply when a physician does not meet the requirements under the program or has not received an exemption.

Physicians can avoid the 2013 payment reduction if they e-prescribe 10 times within the first 6 months of the year. If you are experiencing problems with the e-prescribing incentive program payments, please contact the AOA at govt-issues@osteopathic.org.