Not ePrescribing? Request Exemption From ePrescribing From CMS by Jan. 31

If you do not have an electronic prescribing (ePrescribing or eScribing) system yet in place, you better get a move on it fast. And if you have not filed for a Medicare ePrescribing hardship exemption, you should do it latest by January 31 or else be prepared to face the 1.5 percent payment penalty in 2013.
The physicians who missed the original June 30 deadline have one more chance to request exemption as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has now reopened the Communications Support Web page at https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt/community/communications_support_system/234.
Note: Physicians who have made 25 claims using the e-prescribing code G8553 in 2012 will be eligible for avoiding payment adjustments for 2013. Also as a general rule of eligibility, you should remember that if you can’t write a prescription, you are not qualified to do ePrescribing.
Check Out the Hardship Exemptions
The physicians will be subject to the payment adjustment unless they start e-prescribing or meet any of the following exclusion criteria:

• The EP is not a physician (or MD, DO, podiatrist), nurse practitioner or a physician assistant.
• Your practice has Part B claims less than 10 percent of MPFS allowed charges for encounter codes mentioned in the eRx denominator for service dates between Jan.1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 (for 2013 payment adjustment) and Jan.1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 (for 2014 payment adjustments)
• Your practice doesn’t have 100 cases with eRx encounter codes for service dates between Jan.1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 (for 2013 payment adjustment) and Jan.1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 (for 2014 payment adjustments)
• Your practitioner doesn’t hold prescribing privileges and reports G8644 (Eligible professional does not have prescribing privileges) on a Part B claim between Jan.1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 (for 2013 payment adjustment) and Jan.1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 (for 2014 payment adjustments)
• Your practice is established in a rural area that has limited Internet access.  Report G8642 (The eligible professional practices in a rural area without sufficient high speed internet access and requests a hardship exemption from the application of the payment adjustment under section 1848[a][5][a] of the social security act) at least once.
• There are not enough pharmacies in the area here your practice is based that can do ePrescribing. Report G8643 (The eligible professional practices in an area without sufficient available pharmacies for electronic prescribing and requests a hardship exemption for the application of the payment adjustment under section 1848[a][5][a] of the social security act) at least once.
• Your practice is unable to e-prescribe due to local, state or federal laws
• Your practice has less than 100 prescriptions in six months corresponding to the reporting period