In case you haven’t yet had a chance to digest all 2,400 pages of the MACRA Final Rule, announced by CMS on October 14, here’s the main takeaway: Phasing in the implementation process, CMS has made it much easier to avoid penalties, at least in the short run. But those who push the boundaries of […]
Boost Your MIPS Score with Care Coordination CPIAs—Your Patients Will Thank You
The reaction to MACRA Pick Your Pace speaks volumes about the state of preparedness for the upcoming Quality Payment Program (QPP). Some see Pick Your Pace as a reprieve, others see it as a parachute, and a select few see it as a way to get a head start on their peers. There’s a danger […]
Back to School: Your Post-MACRA Study Guide for QPP Success
Back to school. That phrase prompts memories of making new friends (and catching up with old friends); carts full of notebooks, binders and pens; new classes; and, of course, abject terror. As the summer sun sets on PQRS, the Value Modifier (VM) and Meaningful Use (MU), it’s time for all of us to get into […]
Can MACRA Help Patient-Centered Medical Homes Succeed?
The concept of a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) fits neatly into Value-Based Health Care: patients who are well should incur lower costs. And, if primary care providers help patients who are not well to manage chronic diseases and better navigate the system, outcomes and costs should also improve. But those results are not yet proven. […]
Closing the Book on PQRS (and Opening the MACRA Sequel)
Did you receive your confirmation email from the Physician Value Help Desk that your TIN was successfully registered for Group Practice reporting? If you did, which method did you select? Whether Registry, QCDR, EHR-Direct or the CMS Web Interface, you are officially locked into that choice, and it’s too late to back out. If you […]
What’s the Score? Decoding the MIPS Scoring Methodology
CMS is calling MIPS the “First Step to a Fresh Start.” When it comes to scoring, that’s an understatement. Although MIPS’s foundations are rooted in existing programs, the MIPS algorithm is a significant departure from today’s quality, cost and health information technology scoring. Not only new, this scoring methodology is complex. Providers will receive one […]
Don’t Miss GPRO Deadline: Choose (and Register) by June 30
For many, June 30 means the fiscal year is coming to its end. It also means the deadline for self-nominating for the Group Practice Reporting Option for PQRS looms near. Why does it matter? Because your selection (or lack thereof) has the potential to substantially impact your budget in 2018, and the GPRO registration deadline […]
Know the F.A.C.T.S.: 2016 Proposed MACRA Rule Highlights
Just over a year since the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) passed, the new Proposed MACRA Rule was released on April 27. Now we finally have some details on how Fee For Service will yield to reimbursement through value. There’s a lot to digest in this hefty rule and a great […]
If Your Solution to PQRS Reporting Is an ACO, Think Again
Problems with PQRS reporting this year? As a Registry that works with groups ranging from Academic Medical Centers to solo practitioners, we’ve seen the whole gamut of issues. While there are no quick and easy solutions (sorry), the biggest myth we’re hearing this year is that you can solve all your PQRS problems by forming […]
Still Not Sure of PQRS-VBPM? You Just Gave Your Competitor a Huge Bonus
If you still need a good reason to meet all PQRS requirements and improve your quality tiering under the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBPM or Value Modifier), listen up: Failure to do so means your penalty will end up in your competitor’s pocket. Not only that—the 2016 Value Modifier Adjustment Factor (AF) for incentive payments has […]