After Learning of CMS’ Website Malfunctions, Ellmers Sends Letter to CMS Requesting Administrative Delay for Meaningful Use Reporting Deadline

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement after learning of the delay that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing for the Meaningful Use Reporting Deadline:

“When CMS experienced a serious website malfunction only days before the October 1, 2014, attestation deadline, I grew concerned with the financial burdens and time constraints this would place on our doctors and hospitals. Because of this, Rep. Matheson and I sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner requesting a delay in the October 1 deadline.”

“I was pleased on Tuesday to see that CMS responded to our letter by choosing to extend the Meaningful Use Hardship Exemption deadline—allowing our healthcare providers to avoid unfair and costly penalties due to CMS’ website glitch. While this does provide some relief to our hospitals and physicians, the extended deadline does not address their need for flexibility in meeting the Stage 2 attestation deadline imposed by HHS’ Meaningful Use Program.”

“This is why the Flex-IT Act, legislation I authored, is so crucial to resolving these burdens experienced by hospital providers—it will supply providers with much-needed flexibility, and a larger window of time, for meeting Stage 2 requirements. I remain committed to the passage of the Flex-IT Act and again ask for CMS to reconsider their rigid reporting period currently in place.”

On Tuesday, September 16, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers introduced H.R. 5481 - The Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2014. This important legislation would ensure that health care providers receive flexibility to successfully comply with HHS’ Meaningful Use Program by allowing for providers to report their Health IT upgrades in 2015 through a 90-day reporting period as opposed to a full year. 

However, two days later, Politico Pro reported on a new glitch to the CMS system and explained that it could cost doctors millions of dollars—even if they report through to the Meaningful Use Program on time:

Physicians who just spent hundreds of millions of dollars to install new electronic health record systems will face millions in federal penalties due to a technical glitch that affects their compliance with a federal program, vendors and doctors say.

“It’s beyond understanding why we’d be penalized after making such an investment,” said Dr. Jonathan Lowry, an eye specialist and surgeon at Morganton Eye Physicians in western North Carolina. “This was not our fault.”…

Because of this, Congresswoman Ellmers sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner requesting an administrative delay in the October 1^st reporting deadline for those attempting to attest for the first time in 2014.

Click here to view the letter Congresswoman Ellmers and Congressman Matheson sent to CMS Administrator Tavenner.

Click here to view H.R. 5481 - The Flexibility in Health IT Reporting (Flex-IT) Act of 2014.

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Congresswoman Renee Ellmers serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is

Chairwoman of the Republican Women’s Policy Committee.

She represents the Second District of North Carolina which includes all of Fort Bragg.

ellmers.house.gov | 202.225.4531