To further support clinicians during the COVID-19 public health emergency, CMS extended the deadline for COVID-19 related 2020 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception applications to February 1, 2021. This applies to MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups.

If you have any concerns about the effect of the COVID-19 public health emergency on your performance data, including cost measures, for the 2020 performance period, submit an application now and be sure to cite COVID-19 as the reason for your application. You can request that one or more MIPS categories be reweighted to 0% (When a category is reweighted to 0%, it no longer contributes to your MIPS score – the remaining categories get increased weight according to a QPP formula. If ALL categories are reweighted to 0%, your MIPS score will be set at neutral – no penalty/no bonus.)

Note: The February 1 deadline applies ONLY to COVID-19 related hardships. For Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances not related to COVID-19 (or for the Promoting Interoperability Hardship exemption, if not related to COVID-19) the deadline to submit an exemption application was December 31, 2020.

IMPORTANT: Your application will not override PY2020 data that has already been submitted. Any data submitted as an individual, group or virtual group before or after an application has been approved will be scored. Learn more in the 2020 Exceptions Applications Fact Sheet. (Click to download the pdf.)

How do I Apply?

You must have a 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. (This link downloads a zip file with multiple useful pdfs.)

Once you register for a HARP account, sign in to qpp.cms.gov, select “Exceptions Applications” on the left-hand navigation, select “Add New Exception,” and select “Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception” or “Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception.”

How do I Know if I’m Approved?

If you submit an application for either of the exceptions, you will be notified by email if your request was approved or denied. If approved, this will also be added to your eligibility profile on the QPP Participation Status Tool:.

For More Information

• View this step by step video and guide that walk you through how to submit the application.
• Visit the Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception QPP webpage for more information and link to the application.
• Check out the Exceptions Application Fact Sheet to learn more about these exceptions.

Questions?
Contact the Quality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 or by e-mail at: QPP@cms.hhs.gov. To receive assistance more quickly, please consider calling during non-peak hours—before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:00 p.m. ET.

• Customers who are hearing impaired can dial 711 to be connected to a TRS Communications Assistant.