There are two exception applications available to clinicians in PY 2020:
Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception - allows providers to request reweighting for any or all performance categories if they encounter an extreme and uncontrollable circumstance or public health emergency, such as COVID-19, that is outside of their control.
Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and if approved, the performance categories included in the application are weighted at 0% and will not contribute to your final score unless you submit MIPS data for the 2020 performance period. Data submission will void approved applications on a category-by-category basis.
For example, if you submitted an application for reweighting in the Cost and Quality performance categories only and are approved, these categories will be weighted at 0% and will not be scored for the 2020 performance period.
- You will be scored in the Improvement Activities performance category regardless of whether you submit data.
- You will be scored in the Promoting Interoperability performance categories regardless of whether you submit data unless you qualify for automatic reweighting due to clinician type or special status.
- Quality will be reweighted to 0% unless you submit quality data; if you submit quality data you will be scored in this performance category.
- Cost will retain a weight of 0%. (There is no data submission associated with this performance category, so its reweighting can’t be voided.)
NOTE: The provider can still choose to report even if they qualify for automatic re-weighting or have an approved exception application. If submit ting data for two or more MIPS performance categories, they will receive a final score based on their performance in these categories.
For more information on this application, please refer to the 2020 Exception Application fact sheet (PDF).
MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception applications allows providers to request reweighting specifically for the Promoting Interoperability performance category if they qualify for one of the reasons identified below.
- They are a small practice
- They have decertified EHR technology
- They have insufficient Internet connectivity
- They face extreme and uncontrollable circumstances such as disaster, practice closure, severe financial distress or vendor issues
- They lack control over the availability of CEHRT
- Lacking CEHRT does not qualify for re-weighting.
NOTE: Providers already exempt from submitting Promoting Interoperability, don’t need to apply for this application.
The reweighting can be nullified by simply submitting data in the Promoting Interoperability category, so if the practice ends up performing well in this category, they can get it back.
See attachments for more information.