If your medical practice is located within the disaster-struck states of Louisiana, California or Oregon you may be eligible for a payment adjustment.
In response to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designation of Hurricane Laura and the California and Oregon wildfires as national disasters, CMS has determined that the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy will be applied to Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians in FEMA-identified areas under sections PA-A and PA-B in Louisiana, California, and Oregon.
MIPS eligible clinicians in these areas in 2020 will be automatically identified and receive a neutral payment adjustment for the 2022 MIPS payment year. During the data submission period for the 2020 performance year (Jan. 4, 2021 to March 31, 2021), all four performance categories for these clinicians will be weighted at 0%, resulting in a score equal to the performance threshold.
However, if MIPS eligible clinicians in these areas choose to submit data on two or more performance categories, they will be scored on those categories and receive a 2022 MIPS payment adjustment based on their 2020 MIPS Final Score.
The automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy will not apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in MIPS Alternative Payment Models (APMs) who are subject to the APM Scoring Standard for the 2020 performance year, or to those participating in MIPS as groups or virtual groups.
For More Information
- See the Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Overview section on the MIPS Overview > About Exception Applications page.
- Review the 2020 Automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy Fact Sheet for more details and a list of parishes and counties located in CMS-designated areas that have been affected by an extreme and uncontrollable circumstance. Please note this list is subject to change.
- Direct questions to theQuality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 or by e-mail at: QPP@cms.hhs.gov.
