(a) Final score. Unless a different scoring weight is assigned by CMS under sections 1848(o)(2)(D), 1848(q)(5)(E)(ii), or 1848(q)(5)(F) of the Act, performance in the Promoting Interoperability performance category comprises 25 percent of a MIPS eligible clinician's final score for each MIPS payment year.

(b) Reporting for the Promoting Interoperability performance category. To earn a performance category score for the Promoting Interoperability performance category for inclusion in the final score, a MIPS eligible clinician must:

(1) CEHRT. Use CEHRT as defined at §414.1305 for the performance period;

(2) Report MIPS—Promoting Interoperability objectives and measures. Report on the objectives and associated measures as specified by CMS for the Promoting Interoperability performance category for the performance period as follows:

(i) For the 2019 and 2020 MIPS payment years: For each base score measure, as applicable, report the numerator (of at least one) and denominator, or yes/no statement, or claim an exclusion for each measure that includes an option for an exclusion; and

(ii) For the 2021 and 2022 MIPS payment years:

(A) Report that the MIPS eligible clinician completed the actions included in the Security Risk Analysis measure during the year in which the performance period occurs; and

(B) For each required measure, as applicable, report the numerator (of at least one) and denominator, or yes/no statement, or an exclusion for each measure that includes an option for an exclusion.

(3) Support information exchange and the prevention of health information blocking, and engage in activities related to supporting providers with the performance of CEHRT.

(i) Supporting providers with the performance of CEHRT (SPPC). To engage in activities related to supporting providers with the performance of CEHRT, the MIPS eligible clinician—

(A) Must attest that he or she:

(1) Acknowledges the requirement to cooperate in good faith with ONC direct review of his or her health information technology certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program if a request to assist in ONC direct review is received; and

(2) If requested, cooperated in good faith with ONC direct review of his or her health information technology certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program as authorized by 45 CFR part 170, subpart E, to the extent that such technology meets (or can be used to meet) the definition of CEHRT, including by permitting timely access to such technology and demonstrating its capabilities as implemented and used by the MIPS eligible clinician in the field.

(B) Optionally, may also attest that he or she:

(1) Acknowledges the option to cooperate in good faith with ONC-ACB surveillance of his or her health information technology certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program if a request to assist in ONC-ACB surveillance is received; and

(2) If requested, cooperated in good faith with ONC-ACB surveillance of his or her health information technology certified under the ONC Health IT Certification Program as authorized by 45 CFR part 170, subpart E, to the extent that such technology meets (or can be used to meet) the definition of CEHRT, including by permitting timely access to such technology and demonstrating its capabilities as implemented and used by the MIPS eligible clinician in the field.

(ii) Support for health information exchange and the prevention of information blocking. The MIPS eligible clinician must attest to CMS that he or she—

(A) Did not knowingly and willfully take action (such as to disable functionality) to limit or restrict the compatibility or interoperability of certified EHR technology.

(B) Implemented technologies, standards, policies, practices, and agreements reasonably calculated to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law, that the certified EHR technology was, at all relevant times—

(1) Connected in accordance with applicable law;

(2) Compliant with all standards applicable to the exchange of information, including the standards, implementation specifications, and certification criteria adopted at 45 CFR part 170;

(3) Implemented in a manner that allowed for timely access by patients to their electronic health information; and

(4) Implemented in a manner that allowed for the timely, secure, and trusted bi-directional exchange of structured electronic health information with other health care providers (as defined by 42 U.S.C. 300jj(3)), including unaffiliated providers, and with disparate certified EHR technology and health IT vendors.

(C) Responded in good faith and in a timely manner to requests to retrieve or exchange electronic health information, including from patients, health care providers (as defined by 42 U.S.C. 300jj(3)), and other persons, regardless of the requestor's affiliation or technology vendor.

[81 FR 77537, Nov. 4, 2016, as amended at 82 FR 53955, Nov. 16, 2017; 83 FR 60080, Nov. 23, 2018]