Source: American Academy of Family Physicians Washington, DC, Office
In a January 18, newsletter, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) discussed progress on its Patients over Paperwork initiative, which aims to reduce administrative burden and improve the customer experience while putting patients first. The AAFP has called for many of these efforts in multiple comment letters and meetings with the agency.
Quality Measures
CMS is adopting policies that balance the meaningfulness of quality measurement data with efforts to limit provider burden and improve the doctor-patient relationship. The AAFP has called for CMS to exclusively use the core measure sets developed by the multi-stakeholder Core Quality Measure Collaborative.
Quality Payment Program (QPP)
CMS is consolidating the data submission experience under QPP so that clinicians no longer need to submit data in multiple systems under the various legacy programs, a concern raised by the AAFP.
Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
CMS took AAFP’s recommendation to implement a mechanism for solo practitioners and small groups with 10 or fewer clinicians to form virtual groups to report under the MIPS program.
Advancing Care Information
To allow more time for the migration, clinicians participating in MIPS may continue to use 2014 Edition Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) in 2018. Clinicians that exclusively use the 2015 Edition CEHRT will receive a bonus in their advancing care information category score. CMS added new hardship exceptions for the advancing care information performance category for small practices, for those who work in ambulatory surgical centers, and for those whose CEHRT has become decertified.
Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
To ensure adequate time to prepare for meeting the requirements, CMS finalized a delayed effective date of Wednesday, January 1, 2020, for the AUC consultation and reporting requirements for advanced diagnostic imaging services.