On March 22, 2020, in an effort to cut down on the administrative burden that physicians are facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would be extending deadlines and granting exceptions from reporting requirements for clinicians and providers participating in Medicare quality reporting programs.

CMS has extended the 2019 MIPS reporting deadline from March 31, 2020 to April 30, 2020. Reporting for 2019 measures will be optional for all MIPS eligible clinicians. MIPS eligible clinicians who have not submitted any MIPS data by April 30, 2020, will qualify for the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy and will receive a neutral payment adjustment for the 2021 MIPS payment year. Physicians do not need to take any additional action to qualify for the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy.

However, if a MIPS eligible clinician submits data on two or more MIPS performance categories, they will be scored and receive a 2021 MIPS payment adjustment based on their 2019 MIPS final score.

Additionally, no data reflecting services provided January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020, will be used in CMS’s calculations for the Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs. These exceptions have been made to reduce the data collection and reporting burden on providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS is continuing to monitor the developing COVID-19 situation and will assess options for additional relief to clinicians, facilities and their staff so they can focus on caring for patients during this time.

The full list of exemptions and extensions that have been granted can be found here.