QualityNet Help Desk directed me to this site. I’m reading over the CMS publication, 2015 PQRS: EHR Reporting Made Simple, February 2015 and have two questions:

1. Table on page 2: “…the EP must report the measures for which there is Medicare patient data. An EP must report on at least 1 measure containing Medicare patient data.” Does this mean there must be at least 1 Medicare patient in the numerator for each of the 9 measures across 3 NQS domains OR does it mean that even if an EP reports 1 Medicare patient in the numerator for 1 measure and 0 numerators with some 0 denominators for the other 8 measures, PQRS is still successfully met with no penalties or downward payment adjustment to our VM’s?
2. Participation Options for Reporting for the 2015 PQRS and EHR Incentive Program Table on page 7: Option 1: #1. “If the EP is seeking to attest early to retroactively avoid the 2016 payment adjustment they would otherwise receive for not participating in 2014, they must attest by October 1, 2015. Which penalty is this referring to? The program credit listed is for EHR Incentive Program Only. Is there some way to avoid the 1% penalty that will be applied to EP’s who did not attest to Meaningful Use in 2014?