Statement attributable to:
Gerald E. Harmon, M.D.
President, American Medical Association
“The American Medical Association is grateful the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services agreed that physicians and administrative staff needed flexibility this year when filing a 2021 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (E&C) hardship application because of the Omicron surge. The increase in COVID cases—and increased demands—coincided with the original E&C hardship application deadline at the end of 2021. As a result, physicians might have missed the opportunity to file for a hardship application and faced a payment adjustment. The re-opening of the 2021 application period will give physicians, including APM participants, much-needed relief and better ensure they avoid a negative 2023 MIPS payment adjustment. As a reminder, physicians who do not submit any MIPS data for the 2021 MIPS program will automatically avoid a 2023 penalty. If a physician, practice or physician/practice part of an APM is unsure of their status, we encourage you to submit an application to avoid a penalty.”
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About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
