Gwendolyn,
Sorry to hear about your health issues... hopefully they are in the rear view mirror now.
The hardship exemptions do not refer to an issue specific to AC. You had to follow the MU criteria for 90 days to attest, but the rules were not released until October, with less than 90 days left in the year. So ANYONE using any EMR who said, "I really want to satisfy MU. I will start just as soon as the final rules are out, so I can be sure I follow them".... would be unable to attest.
The reality is that CMS should have simply said they will not assess any penalties. Instead, they are saying that anyone who asks for an exemption will get one, but if you don't fill out the form, you lose the money.
