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May 2,  2023 – The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) Exception and MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception applications are now available for the 2023 performance year. Applications can be submitted until 8 p.m. ET on January 2, 2024.

MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception Application

MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups may apply to reweight any or all MIPS performance categories if they’ve been affected by extreme and uncontrollable circumstances. Extreme and uncontrollable circumstances are defined as rare events entirely outside of your control and the control of the facility in which you practice. These circumstances must:

  • Cause you to be unable to collect information necessary to submit for a MIPS performance category;
  • Cause you to be unable to submit information that would be used to score a MIPS performance category for an extended period of time (for example, if you were unable to collect data for the quality performance category for 3 months); and/or
  • Impact your normal process, affecting your performance on cost measures and other administrative claims measures.

For Alternative Payment Model (APM) Entities

APM Entities participating in MIPS APMs can also submit a MIPS EUC Exception application. However, the policy for APM Entities differs from the MIPS EUC policy for individuals, groups, and virtual groups in that:

  • APM Entities are required to request reweighting for all performance categories;
  • At least 75% of an APM Entity’s MIPS eligible clinicians must qualify for reweighting in the Promoting Interoperability performance category; and
  • Data submission for an APM Entity won’t override performance category reweighting.

Learn more in the 2023 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Application Guide.

MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Hardship Exception Applications

MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups may apply to reweight the Promoting Interoperability performance category to 0% if they:

  • Have decertified electronic health record (EHR) technology;
  • Have insufficient Internet connectivity;
  • Face extreme and uncontrollable circumstances such as disaster, practice closure, severe financial distress, or vendor issues; or
  • Lack control over the availability of certified EHR technology (CEHRT); simply lacking the required CEHRT doesn’t qualify you for reweighting.

NOTE: You don’t need to apply for this application if you qualify for automatic reweighting of the Promoting Interoperability performance category based on your clinician type or special status.

As a reminder, small practices qualify for automatic reweighting. Refer to Appendix A of the 2023 MIPS Promoting Interoperability User Guide for a complete list of clinician types and special statuses that qualify for automatic reweighting in the 2023 performance year. Learn more in the 2023 Promoting Interoperability Hardship Application Guide.

How do I Apply?

You must have a Health Care Quality Information Systems (HCQIS) Access Roles and Profile (HARP) account to complete and submit an exception application on behalf of yourself, or another MIPS eligible clinician, group, virtual group or APM Entity. For more information on HARP accounts, please refer to the Register for a HARP Account document in the QPP Access User Guide.

Once you register for a HARP account, sign in to the QPP website, select ‘Exceptions Applications’ on the left-hand navigation, select ‘Add New Exception,’ and select ‘Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception’ or ‘Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception.’

Note for Subgroups

Subgroups will inherit any reweighting approved for their affiliated group; if the subgroup encounters an extreme and uncontrollable circumstance that doesn’t affect the entire group, the subgroup can contact the QPP Service Center to request reweighting.

How do I Know if I’m Approved?

You’ll be notified by email if your request was approved or denied.  You can also check the status of your application by signing in to the QPP website and navigating to ‘Exceptions.’ If approved, this information will also be added to your eligibility profile in the QPP Participation Status Tool on a weekly basis. If your application is approved at the end of the performance year, it may not appear in the QPP Participation Status Tool until the submission window opens on January 2, 2024.

2024 Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) Measure Preview Calls

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct QCDR measure concept preview calls for the 2024 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance period between February 20, 2023 and June 2, 2023. The last day to request a call is May 19, 2023.

To request a 2024 QCDR measure preview call:

  1. Send an email to QCDRVendorSupport@gdit.com and provide:
    • Several available dates and times over a 2-week period,
    • Names and email addresses of your team members that you would like invited to the call,
    • Number of QCDR measures you will submit for discussion.
  1. At least one week prior to the scheduled meeting, please send your QCDR measure concepts and specifications in a single Word document or Excel file, to QCDRVendorSupport@gdit.com. If the Word document or Excel file is not received one week prior to the scheduled meeting, the meeting may be rescheduled. CMS and the MIPS QCDR/Registry Support Team (PIMMS Team) requires adequate time prior to the meeting to thoroughly review your QCDR measure concepts in order to provide useful feedback and recommendations. Any QCDR measure concepts not submitted for review prior to the meeting will not be discussed on the call.

Priority will be given to requests by those that have not yet had a call to accommodate all requests.

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