§495.102 Incentive payments to EPs.
(a) General rules.
(1) Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, in addition to the amount otherwise paid under section 1848 of the Act, there shall be paid to a qualifying eligible professional (or to an employer or entity in the cases described in section 1842(b)(6)(A) of the Act) for a payment year an amount equal 75 percent of the estimated allowed charges under the physician fee schedule (established under section 1848 of the Act) for the covered professional services furnished by the EP during the payment year.
(2) For purposes of this paragraph (a), the estimated allowed charges for the qualifying EP’s covered professional services during the payment year are determined based on claims submitted no later than 2 months after the end of the payment year, and, in the case of a qualifying EP who furnishes covered professional services in more than one practice, are determined based on claims submitted for the EP's covered professional services across all such practices.
(b) Limitations on amounts of incentive payments.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(2) and paragraph (c) of this section, the amount of the incentive payment that a qualifying EP can receive for each payment year is limited to the following amounts:
(i) For the first payment year, $15,000 (or, if the first payment year for such qualifying eligible professional is 2011 or 2012, $18,000).
(ii) For the second payment year, $12,000.
(iii) For the third payment year, $8,000.
(iv) For the fourth payment year, $4,000.
(v) For the fifth payment year, $2,000.
(vi) For any succeeding payment year for such professional, $0.
(2) (i) If the first payment year for a qualifying eligible professional is 2014, then the amount for a payment year for a qualifying EP is the same as the amount specified for such payment year for a qualifying EP whose first payment year is 2013.
(ii) If the first payment year for a qualifying EP is after 2014, then the applicable amount specified in this paragraph for such professional for such year and any subsequent year must be $0.
(c) Increase in incentive payment limit for EPs who predominantly furnish services in a geographic HPSA. In the case of a qualifying eligible professional who in the year prior to the payment year furnishes more than 50 percent of his or her covered professional services in a geographic HPSA, the annual incentive payment limit determined under paragraph (b) of this section is to be increased by 10 percent.
(d) Payment adjustment effective in CY 2015 and subsequent years for nonqualifying EPs.
(1) Subject to paragraph (d)(3) of this section, beginning in 2015, for covered professional services furnished by an EP who is not a qualifying EP or a hospital-based EP for the year, the payment amount for such services is equal the product of the applicable percent specified in paragraph (d)(2) and the Medicare physician fee schedule amount for such services.
(2) Applicable percent. Applicable percent is as follows:
(i) For 2015, 99 percent if the eligible professional is not subject to the payment adjustment for an eligible professional who is not a successful electronic prescriber under section 1848(a)(5) of the Act, or 98 percent if the eligible professional is subject to the payment adjustment for an eligible professional who is not a successful electronic prescriber under section 1848(a)(5) of the Act).
(ii) For 2016, 98 percent.
(iii) For 2017 and each subsequent year, 97 percent.
(3) Significant hardship exception. The Secretary may, on a case-by-case basis, exempt an EP who is not a qualifying EP from the application of the payment adjustment under paragraph (d)(1) of this section, if the Secretary determines that compliance with the requirement for being a meaningful EHR user would result in a significant hardship for the EP. The Secretary's determination to grant an EP an exemption under this paragraph (d)(3) may be renewed on an annual basis, provided that in no case may an EP be granted an exemption under this paragraph (d)(3) for more than 5 years.
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