Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it would ease the requirements for physicians trying to meet the regulations for its ePrescribing program. While these new guidelines make it easier for practices to apply for a hardship waiver, some groups still say the requirements are too stringent.

An editorial appearing in American Medical News, a publication of the American Medical Association, said that many physicians who have been unable to implement ePrescribing systems due to extenuating circumstances will still get caught paying penalties. This is largely because the deadline for applying for a waiver, which is November 1, will come too soon.

Furthermore, the article points out that the system bases current-year penalties on a physician's reported ePrescribing use from the previous year. This means a practice could pay penalties this year despite the fact they have implemented a qualifying system.

Physicians can qualify for incentive payments that increase their reimbursement rates up to 2 percent for participating in the program, but penalties for failing to meet the program's guidelines could cost them up to 1.5 percent.