Volume 3 Ed. 7 | July 31, 2020
|
|
Quality Payment Program (QPP) Participation Status Tool Now Includes First Snapshot of 2020 Qualifying APM Participant and MIPS APMs Data
On July 20, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its
QPP Participation Status Tool
based on the first snapshot of data from Alternative Payment Model (APM) entities. The first snapshot includes data from Medicare Part B claims with
dates of service between January 1 and March 31, 2020
. The tool includes 2020 Qualifying APM Participant (QP) and Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) APM participation status.
What Does QP Status Mean?
If you qualify as a QP, this means you are:
- Eligible for the 5% APM incentive bonus; and
- Exempt from participating in MIPS.
How Do I Check My QP or APM Participation Status?
To view your QP or APM participation status at the individual level:
Learn More
For more information on APMs, visit the
QPP APM webpages
. For a comprehensive list of APMs and additional materials, visit the QPP Resource Library.
|
|
Physician Compare Preview Period is Now Open!
The Physician Compare 60-day Preview Period is officially open as of June 22, 2020 at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). You can now preview your 2018 QPP performance information before it will appear on
Physician Compare
profile pages and in the Downloadable Database. You can access the secured Preview through the
QPP
website. Review the
Physician Compare Preview Period User Guide
resource to learn how to preview your data.
To learn more about the 2018 QPP performance information that is available for preview as well as the 2017 clinician utilization data that will be added to the Downloadable Database, download these documents from the
Physician Compare Initiative page
:
The 60-day Preview Period will close on August 20, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
Please note the 2018 performance information is targeted for public reporting in 2020 and will be added to Physician Compare and/or the Downloadable Database after all Targeted Reviews are completed. If you have an open Targeted Review request, you will still be able to preview your 2018 QPP performance information through the Physician Compare Preview Period.
|
|
2018 QPP Experience Report
CMS released the
2018 QPP Experience Report
to provide insights into participation during the 2018 performance year. This report builds on the 2018 participation results shared in
this CMS blog post
by Administrator Seema Verma in January 2020. The report includes data regarding participation and performance in the MIPS and APMs tracks of QPP during the 2018 performance year. It covers eligibility and participation, reporting options, performance categories, and final score and payment adjustments.
Based on stakeholder feedback, CMS concisely compiled data in the QPP Experience Report to highlight elements named as important for understanding the QPP. You will be able to find additional, more extensive data in a separate Public Use File, which will be released in summer 2020.
|
|
Guidance on Allowance of Telehealth Encounters in eCQMs Now Available
CMS has posted guidance on the allowance of telehealth encounters for the Eligible Professional and Eligible Clinician electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) used in CMS quality reporting programs for the 2020 and 2021 performance periods. Guidance provided applies to eCQMs used in each of the following programs:
- QPP: The MIPS and Advanced APMs
- APM: Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+)
- APM: Primary Care First (PCF)
- Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program for Eligible Professionals
Where to Find the Guidance on Allowance of Telehealth Encounters
CMS has updated the Eligible Clinicians and Eligible Professionals Table of eCQMs to indicate guidance on allowance of telehealth:
For More Information
For Questions Regarding eCQMs
|
|
Upcoming Webinars for Small Practices
|
|
HHS Telemedicine Hack
Weekly Webinar Series on Telemedicine
|
|
Wednesdays, July 22
–
Sept 23, 2020,
12
–
1:00 p.m. ET
Although telemedicine use has grown exponentially during the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many ambulatory providers still lack the knowledge and skills needed to implement video-based telemedicine into their practices. To support wide adoption of telemedicine, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is partnering with the ECHO Institute at the University of New Mexico and the Public Health Foundation’s TRAIN Learning Network to deliver a 10-week, virtual peer-to-peer learning community to accelerate telemedicine implementation for ambulatory providers called
Telemedicine Hack
.
For more information, contact
c19ECHO@salud.unm.edu
.
There is
no cost
to join the
Telemedicine Hack initiative
. All ambulatory providers (e.g., primary care, surgical, rural/urban, dental, mental health, solo practitioners) are invited to participate.
|
|
Frequently Asked Questions of the Month
|
|
Answer:
Physician Compare Preview is the first opportunity for clinicians and groups to see what patients will see before their performance information is published on the
Physician Compare website
.
- Clinicians and groups will be able to see which of the performance information they submitted for 2018 is targeted for public reporting on Physician Compare profile pages and the Physician Compare Downloadable Database.
- Clinicians and groups who are not MIPS-eligible and MIPS APM participants who voluntarily submitted Performance Year (PY) 2018 MIPS performance information will have the opportunity to opt out of having their PY 2018 performance information publicly reported on Physician Compare.
|
|
New QPP Tools and Resources
|
|
To prepare for the 2020 performance year of the MIPS, CMS has posted new resources to the
QPP Resource Library
.
QPP Resources:
CAHPS = Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
®
|
|
CMS COVID-19 Stakeholder Calls
CMS has been hosting regular calls with a variety of clinicians, hospitals, other facilities, and states in an effort to keep stakeholders updated on their COVID-19 efforts. CMS understands that not everyone is available to attend the calls live, and is sharing access to
recordings along with transcripts
. CMS will continue to host calls and share information through their list serves and media.
CMS COVID-19 Office Hour Calls (Tuesdays at 5
–
6 p.m. ET)
Office Hour Calls provide an opportunity for hospitals, health systems, and providers to ask questions of agency officials regarding CMS' temporary actions that empower local hospitals and healthcare systems to:
- Increase Hospital Capacity—CMS Hospitals Without Walls;
- Rapidly Expand the Healthcare Workforce;
- Put Patients Over Paperwork; and
- Further Promote Telehealth in Medicare
To keep up with the important work of the White House Coronavirus Task Force in response to COVID-19, visit
https:/www.coronavirus.gov
. For a complete and updated list of CMS actions, and other information specific to CMS, please visit the
Current Emergencies Website
.
|
|
COVID-19 Resources and Preparedness
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, HSAG understands the priority to keep your patients and staff safe.
COVID-19 Resources:
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
|
|
HSAG Year 4 MIPS Participation Check-In
Each year, Health Services Advisory Group (HSAG) checks in with every eligible clinician and practice to ensure your plans for MIPS reporting are on track. You may receive phone calls, emails, and or fax communication from us throughout the year. Our goal is to ensure you are prepared to submit your best MIPS score, so we appreciate your time speaking with us and look forward to hearing your MIPS reporting plans this year. If your practice knows your MIPS reporting plans for 2020 now, click
here
to let us know. By submitting your MIPS participation plans online, we will not reach out via phone, and you can contact us when you need us!
HSAG is 1 of 11 organizations awarded by CMS as a QPP Technical Assistance Support Contractor. Since 2017, HSAG has been your trusted resource, available to Medicare providers in Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also, in partnership with Alliant Quality, HSAG is Florida’s technical assistance contractor for the QPP. We provide assistance on MIPS and Alternative Payment Models (APMs); two reporting paths under the QPP. Our services are provided at no cost to you.
|
|
Third Snapshot for QP Determinations and MIPS APM Participation (August 2020)
Last Day to Start a 90-day Performance Period for Promoting Interoperability and Improvement Activities (October 3, 2020)
View the following resources to assist in planning for 2020 MIPS reporting:
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
