Volume 1 Ed. 13 | December 2018
|
|
EIDM Changing to HARP!
CMS is transitioning the system used to create identity management accounts and request access to the
QPP website
from the Enterprise Identity Data Management System (EIDM) to the HCQIS Access Roles and Profile System (HARP), and all users will manage access to the organizations they represent for reporting quality data and viewing their MIPS feedback directly through the
QPP website
.
If you already have an EIDM account with a role for QPP, you’ll automatically be transitioned to HARP. You don’t need to take any additional action.
You’ll use your existing EIDM user ID and password to sign in to the QPP website, and you’ll have access to the same organization(s).
For more information on this process, refer to the Connect to an Organization guide in the
QPP Access User Guide
(zip).
|
|
Request for Public Comment by January 28, 2019
Strategy for Reducing Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs
Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) encourages you to provide comment on the draft
Strategy on Reducing Burden Relating to the Use of Health Information Technology (IT) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
. This strategy was prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce EHR-related burdens that affect care. Now, HHS needs public feedback on that draft strategy, including input from stakeholders such as your organization. Provide your comments by visiting the
HealthIt.gov comment page
.
Download and review the
draft strategy
in pdf format.
The draft strategy outlines three overarching goals designed to reduce clinician burden:
- Reduce the effort and time required to record health information in EHRs for clinicians.
- Reduce the effort and time required to meet regulatory reporting requirements for clinicians, hospitals, and healthcare organizations.
- Improve the functionality and intuitiveness (ease of use) of EHRs.
The comment period is open for 60 days. Due to resource limitations, HHS is only accepting comments electronically. Attachments should be in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF.
The deadline for comment submission is
11:59 p.m. ET on January 28, 2019
. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will review, analyze, and post on its website all public comments that are received by the deadline. The final version will be published as well in late 2019.
|
|
Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy for MIPS Eligible Clinicians Affected by Hurricanes Florence and Michael
CMS understands that if you’re a clinician living or practicing in an area affected by Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, you may experience difficulties collecting and submitting data on time during the 2018 MIPS performance period for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Most recently, for those affected by
Hurricane Florence
,
Hurricane Michael
, and the
California Wildfires
, CMS tried to lessen eligible clinicians’ burden by not requiring a hardship application to re-weight the performance categories under MIPS.
Please note: MIPS eligible clinicians in Advanced Payment Model (APM) entities who are subject to the APM scoring standard are not covered by the automatic extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy.
|
|
QPP Frequently Asked Question of the Month
|
|
Question:
I am a newly-eligible clinician type in 2019. How do I get started?
Answer:
We are excited you’ve asked this question, and we look forward to assisting you through the program. First, take a deep breath and know you don’t have to do this alone— HSAG provides no-cost assistance. Second, pick up the phone and reach out to HSAG’s QPP Service Center at 1.844.472.4227 at your earliest convenience. Our QPP Service Center Specialists are available Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
|
|
Coming Soon! Submission Portal Pointers
|
|
The MIPS Data Submission Portal is Opening on January 2, 2019!
|
|
MIPS Top Tips of the Month
|
|
Tip #1
With the change of EIDM to HARP, we highly recommend you login to the QPP portal as soon as possible.
Tip #2
Get ready to submit! The QPP Data Submission Portal is set to open on January 2, 2019...in just 7 days!
Tip #3
Don’t forget to prepare for 2019’s QPP requirements. HSAG is here to answer your questions at 1.844.472.4227.
|
|
Upcoming Learning Forum Friday Events
|
|
January 11, 2019
1
p.m. ET
QPP Y2—Data Submission Tips and Tricks
Join HSAG to learn how to:
- Recognize how to submit 2018 Merit-Based Incentive System (MIPS) data and highlight changes in the QPP portal.
- Identify the various QPP submission methods.
- Determine possible advantages and disadvantages of each submission method.
|
|
February 8, 2019
1 p.m. ET
Quality and Cost Deep Dive
Join HSAG to learn how to:
- Explain the Quality and Cost performance categories reporting requirements.
- Interpret Quality and Cost scoring methodology.
- Identify Quality and Cost measures and how they impact your MIPS final score.
|
|
Did You Miss the December 14 Learning Forum Friday Webinar?
Download the
webinar recording
for
Don’t Forget to Prepare to Submit
. The presentation slides are also located at
https://www.hsag.com/lff
. Register for upcoming webinars and browse past webinars to prepare for your 2018 MIPS data submission!
|
|
Upcoming Webinars for Small Practices
|
|
MIPS 101: An Overview of the Merit-Based Incentive System (MIPS) for Solo and Small Group Practices
Participants will learn:
- Whether you need to participate in MIPS.
- The pros and cons of participating as an individual, group, or virtual group.
- Practical first steps you can take to begin preparing for MIPS and how to be successful.
|
|
Submitting Your 2018 MIPS Data: Advice for Solo and Small Group Practices
Participants will learn:
- How to submit MIPS data directly to CMS.
- Methods to submit data for each performance category.
- Strategies for choosing which data to submit to help you earn the highest MIPS score.
- What is an EIDM account?
- Practical tips for addressing frequent challenges encountered by solo practitioners and small group practices including understanding how to submit data or retain documentation.
|
|
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Updates
|
|
The Quality Payment Program Webinar Library is Available on QPP.CMS.GOV
CMS has moved the QPP webinar resources from
CMS.gov
to the newly redesigned
QPP Webinar Library
on
qpp.cms.gov
.
In their continuing effort to ensure the QPP website is the one-stop shop for all QPP resources, they’ve moved over all webinar resources to
www.qpp.cms.gov
so all of the information you need is available in one place.
CMS made it easier for you to find the resources you’re looking for by including a search function that allows you to search for the webinars and accompanying recordings, transcripts and presentation slides by performance year, reporting track, performance category, and webinar type.
|
|
Updated List of APMs in the QPP is Now Posted on qpp.cms.gov
|
|
Check Your Final 2018 MIPS Eligibility Status
Your initial 2018 MIPS eligibility status was based on CMS review of Medicare Part B claims and PECOS data from September 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017. Now, CMS has updated your eligibility status based on their second review of Medicare Part B claims and
PECOS
data, from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018.
If, after the first review earlier this year, you were determined to be:
- Eligible for MIPS, your eligibility status might have changed, and you may no longer be eligible.
- Use the tool to make sure you’re still eligible.
- Not eligible for MIPS at a particular practice, your eligibility status, based on your association with that particular practice, will not change.
Please note,
if you joined a new practice (meaning you billed under, or assigned your billing rights to, a new or different TIN)
between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018, CMS evaluated your MIPS eligibility based on your association with that new practice (identified by TIN) during this second review.
If you joined a new practice after August 31, 2018, you are not eligible for MIPS as an individual based on your association with that new practice (identified by TIN). However, you may be eligible to receive a MIPS payment adjustment based on your group’s participation, if the new practice you joined chooses to participate in MIPS as a group.
|
|
Last Chance to Access Your Previous QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports
The final performance period for the Value Modifier and Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) programs was 2016, and the final payment adjustment year is 2018. Therefore, the Quality and Resource Use Reports (QRURs) and PQRS Feedback Reports will no longer be available after the end of 2018. All QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports provided under these programs will remain available for download until
December 31, 2018.
Authorized representatives of groups and solo practitioners can access their QRURs and PQRS Feedback Reports at
https://portal.cms.gov.
|
|
Physician Compare Preview Period Extended to January 7, 2019
CMS opened the
Physician Compare
preview period on November 30, 2018 at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). The 30-day preview period provides an opportunity for clinicians and groups to review their 2017 Quality Payment Program performance information before it is publicly reported on Physician Compare profile pages and in the Downloadable Database.
The preview period is extended and is now ending Monday, January 7, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
|
|
CMS Webinar
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
1
p.m. ET
Eligible Clinician eCQM Prevention Care and Screening Measures
This one-hour session will provide an in-depth review of the Preventive Care and Screening electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), including:
- Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up Documented (CMS22).
- Influenza Immunization (CMS147).
- Tobacco Use Screening and Cessation Intervention (CMS138).
CMS has transitioned the logic used in eCQMs from the previous quality data model (QDM) logic expression language to Clinical Quality Language (CQL) for the 2019 performance period.
Space is limited for this webinar.
Registration will close when CMS has reached maximum capacity. This webinar will be recorded and a replay of the webinar with presentation slides will be available on the eCQI Resource Center website within two-weeks following the program.
|
|
Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Updates
|
|
Now Available: Accredited Online Course with Continuing Medical Education Credit:
Quality Payment Program: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Participation in 2018
A new Quality Payment Program: Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Participation in 2018 Web-Based Training Course is now available through the
MLN LMS
.
Learn about:
- Eligible and exempt clinicians.
- The difference between individual, group and virtual group reporting.
- Data submission mechanisms for 2018.
|
|
Clinician Spotlight
Dr. Deepanshu Garg is an Internist at Med-Cure Internal Medicine, a four-clinician practice in Goodyear, Arizona. For the last nine years, Dr. Garg has been treating Medicare patients with conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As a result of MIPS, Dr. Garg’s practice is tracking patient metrics more closely and making efforts to reduce the cost of care. His success in the first performance year (i.e., 2017) has even landed him recognition as a QPP Clinician Champion in 2018. For more information on QPP Clinician Champions, please review the
Clinician Champions Fact Sheet
.
So, how can a small practice like yours achieve Dr. Garg’s success with MIPS?
Click here
for advice and recommendations Dr. Garg has for other small practices.
|
|
Calling Newly Eligible Clinician Types for QPP Year 3 (2019)!
|
|
Call HSAG’s QPP Service Center at 1.844.472.4227 to learn about the
Quality Payment Program or MIPS.
|
|
Subscribe to Get the Information You Need
|
|
Subscribe to HSAG's QPP Quest Digest
Invite your practice staff, practices you refer patients to, and other colleagues to subscribe to HSAG’s QPP Quest Digest!
Stay informed of all monthly QPP updates, deadlines, no-cost webinars and best practices by subscribing
here
.
|
|
CMS QPP Listserv
Don't forget to sign up on the
CMS.gov QPP website
. Once you've accessed the QPP page, scroll to
[Subscribe to Updates]
at the bottom of the page and insert your email address before clicking
[Subscribe]
. The QPP listserv is a valuable resource to stay informed of webinars and important QPP deadlines.
|
|
This material was prepared by Health Services Advisory Group, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Florida, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. Publication No. FL-11SOW-D.1-12272018-01
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
