On December 28, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act, legislation that gives CMS broader authority to exempt physicians and other eligible professionals from penalties for not meeting "Meaningful Use" targets regarding the use of electronic health records. Under the new law, CMS will be able to review applications for hardship exemptions for 2017 payment adjustments in a batch process instead of a case-by-case basis, making it easier for doctors to seek exemptions. In addition, among other policies, the new law establishes a program for data sharing among federal Medicare and state Medicaid programs and authorizes transitional payments for certain radiation therapy and imaging services, as well as a study to assess alternative payment models for such services furnished in nonfacility settings.
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