CMS News Center

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted new resources on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website to help clinicians successfully participate in the first year of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). CMS officials are encouraging MIPS clinicians to visit the QPP website (https://qpp.cms.gov) to review the new resources, which include: The “Advancing Care Information (ACI)” measure specifi-cations and transition measure specifications have been updat-ed to include additional details on each objective and measure in this performance category. (Note that these items are presented in a ZIP file to be downloaded.)

 

An Introduction to Group Participation in MIPS in 2017 user guide offers an in-depth overview of how to participate as a group in MIPS. The 43-page document is presented in a slideshow format. 

The CMS-approved qualified clinical data registries  (QCDRs) vendor list for 2017 provides contact informa-tion for the QCDRs that will be able to report data for the “quality, ” ACI, and “improvement activities” performance categories in 2017. A direct link to the 257-page file is of-fered at https://qpp.cms.gov/docs/QPP_2017_CMS_Ap-proved_QCDRs.pdf
 

The CMS-approved Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Pro-viders & Systems (CAHPS) for MIPS survey vendor list includes contact information for the survey vendors approved by CMS to administer the CAHPS for MIPS survey in 2017. A direct link to the four-page document is offered at https://qpp.cms.gov/docs/QPP_2017_CAHPS_for_MIPS_Survey_Vendors.pdf

Additional resources are available in the “Resource Library” section of the QPP website.

 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a proposed rule that would make changes in the second year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP), as re-quired by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). CMS’ goal is to simplify the pro-gram, especially for small, independent, and rural practices, while ensuring fiscal sustainability and high-quality care within Medicare, officials said.

 

“We’ve heard the concerns that too many quality programs, technology requirements, and measures get between the doctor and the patient,” said Seema Verma, MPH, CMS administrator. “That’s why we’re taking a hard look at reducing burdens. By proposing this rule, we aim to improve Medicare by helping doc-tors and clinicians concentrate on caring for their patients rather than filling out paperwork. CMS will continue to listen and take actionable steps towards alleviating burdens and improving health outcomes for all Americans that we serve.”

 

The QPP, updated annually as part of MACRA, is meant to promote greater value within the healthcare system. Clinicians who participate in Medicare serve more than 57 million seniors. Clinicians can choose how they want to participate in the program based on their practice size, specialty, location, or patient population.  

The proposed rule would amend some existing require-ments and contains new policies for doctors and clinicians participating in the program that would encourage participa-tion in either Advanced Alternative Payment Models or the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. Additionally, CMS has used clinician feedback to shape the second year of the program. If finalized, the proposed rule would further advance the agency’s goals of regulatory relief, program simplification, and state and local flexibility in the creation of innovative ap-proaches to the healthcare delivery. Moreover, CMS is making it easier for rural and small pro-viders to participate, according to officials.

 

For a fact sheet on the proposed rule, visit: www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instru-ments/Value-Based-Programs/MACRA-MIPS-and-APMs/Proposed-rule-fact-sheet.pdf

The proposed rule can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection. federalregister.gov/2017-13010.pdf