The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has offered to grant exceptions for various Medicare quality reporting programs to reduce the burden on healthcare providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the various CMS programs that meet its "extreme and uncontrollable circumstances" exceptions and extensions policy include the Quality Payment Program Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). CMS has extended the deadline for 2019 data submission for these programs from March 31 to April 30, 2020, and is evaluating options to provide relief for 2020 data submission.
In addition, CMS has extended 2019 deadlines and stated that data from January 1 through June 30, 2020, need not be submitted to CMS for numerous other programs. The full list of eligible programs is posted on the CMS website.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
