Final deadline for avoiding 2014 e-prescribing penalty is June 30

Monday, June 03, 2013 10:36 AM

Starting in 2014, some physicians who fail to prescribe electronically will be subject to a 2 percent Medicare payment penalty. The penalty will be applied to individual eligible professionals or group practices participating in the Electronic Prescribing Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) who have not successfully submitted the target number of e-prescriptions based on their number of eligible providers.

There is one more reporting period during which individuals and groups can meet the reporting requirements and avoid the 2014 penalty: Jan. 1 - June 30, 2013. Note that those who successfully e-prescribed in 2012 do not need to meet this reporting requirement in 2013. Other exclusions can be found in the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: 2014 Payment Adjustment Fact Sheet.

Physicians also can apply for hardship exemptions, which include: practicing in a rural area without sufficient high-speed Internet access; and being barred by local, state, or federal law from e-prescribing. The deadline for hardship exemption applications is also June 30. Click here to submit a hardship exemption.