HRS Quality Reporting Update: CMS Offers Automatic MIPS Exception for California Wildfires

March 4, 2025 – CMS recently announced that the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) policy will apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in designated counties affected by the recent California wildfires for both the 2024 and 2025 performance periods.

MIPS eligible clinicians in these areas will be automatically identified and have all four MIPS performance categories reweighted to 0% for both performance periods, which will translate into a neutral payment adjustment for the 2026 and 2027 payment years.

TheMIPS automatic EUC policy only applies at the individual clinician level. It does not apply to eligible clinicians participating in MIPS at the group, subgroup, virtual group, or Alternative Payment Model (APM) Entity level. However, these entities can request reweighting by submitting an EUC Exception application. Also note that if a MIPS eligible clinician who is eligible for the automatic exception submits data on two or more performance categories for either/both performance years, they will be scored on those performance categories and receive a payment adjustment.  Additional information about this exception can be found in the 2024 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet and 2025 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet.

Available Resources

• FEMA: Designated Areas – Disaster 4856
• Access EUC Exception Application
• 2024 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet
• 2025 MIPS Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet