On Tuesday, CMS announced plans to reopen the submission period for hardship exemption applications for the meaningful use program, EHR Intelligence reports. Under the 2009 economic stimulus package, providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments. Last month, CMS announced that about 44,000 health care providers submitted hardship exemption applications for the meaningful use program before the July 1 deadline. The deadline for eligible hospitals was April 1. A CMS spokesperson noted that the majority of applications were submitted by first-time attesters who experienced difficulty with their 2014 certified EHR system.
