The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced that clinicians participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) who have been adversely impacted by recent natural disasters, including the California wildfires, will be covered under the "Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances" policy. This policy grants MIPS-eligible clinicians exceptions without having to submit an exception request.

MIPS eligible clinicians in federally-designated disasters 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 (January 4, 2021 to March 31, 2021), all 4 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 2 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

• MIPS Overview > About Exception Applications page
• 2020 Automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy Fact Sheet

Physicians with questions can contact the Medicare Quality Payment Program at (866) 288-8292 or QPP@cms.hhs.gov.