Hospitals and other healthcare providers affected by Hurricane Irma will be granted exceptions under certain Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs, according to a Sept. 14 CMS notification.
The exemption applies to healthcare providers located in areas Federal Emergency Management Agency designated as a major disaster area. Right now, all counties in Florida, as well as several municipios in Puerto Rico and county-equivalents in the U.S. Virgin Islands, are labeled major disaster areas.
Providers in affected areas will be given exceptions without having to fill out an Extraordinary Circumstances Exceptions request.
"[A]ll of the exceptions are being granted to assist these providers while they direct their resources toward caring for their patients and repairing structural damages to facilities," CMS wrote in the notice.
To view the notification, click here.
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