The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has offered to grant exceptions for various Medicare quality reporting programs to reduce the burden on healthcare providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the various CMS programs that meet its "extreme and uncontrollable circumstances" exceptions and extensions policy include the Quality Payment Program Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). CMS has extended the deadline for 2019 data submission for these programs from March 31 to April 30, 2020, and is evaluating options to provide relief for 2020 data submission.
In addition, CMS has extended 2019 deadlines and stated that data from January 1 through June 30, 2020, need not be submitted to CMS for numerous other programs. The full list of eligible programs is posted on the CMS website.
