Rumors that PQRS and VBPM have died may be wishful thinking, but are far from true. Value-Based Care is here to stay, even as Medicare’s programs evolve. You still have a chance to help shape those initiatives before they become law. So it’s well worth your time now to learn all about Medicare’s newest program, […]
No More Status Quo: How the New CDR Will Change Health Care
As CMS streamlines its Value-Based Reimbursement programs, the pressure is on for providers to participate. A better foundation is needed to support those changes, so providers can actually succeed. And Medicare’s expansion of Clinical Data Registries (CDRs) may just be the answer. CDRs could be the tipping point for transforming health care. Here’s why: With […]
Know Your Risk Under VBPM: Your Medicare Revenues Are at Stake
Although Medicare has been increasing the pressure on providers to prepare for value-based health care, we still encounter many providers who are unaware or confused. Big clue: we see all too many large provider organizations that are developing RFPs for PQRS reporting without also including an evaluation of their risk under the Value-Based Payment Modifier […]
How to Boost Your VBPM with ICD-10
With five weeks until ICD-10 becomes official, take note: Your transition strategy must include PQRS and the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBPM). Neglecting VBPM in your short-term plan may lead to long-term penalties. That now goes for everybody, whether you helm an Academic Medical Center or run a small practice. October 1, 2015, marks the starting […]
Radiologists’ Tool Kit: How to Succeed in PQRS and VBPM
When it comes to PQRS reporting, it’s not easy being a radiologist. How can you fulfill PQRS reporting requirements and avoid jeopardizing future value-based payments? Many radiologists have found themselves backed into a PQRS corner—not enough measures to report, and those measures that can be reported have some tricky requirements. Similar to anesthesiologists, radiologists practice […]
Medicare’s 2016 Proposed Rule: What Do You Need to Know?
Is PQRS dead? That’s the question we’ve been hearing, in the wake of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which outlined a new program for merit-based payments. With the release of the 2016 Proposed Rule, the answer is a resounding “No.” The Proposed Rule is exactly that—proposed, rather than final. Nevertheless, […]
Will Medicare’s Published Physician Quality Data Push Your Patients Away?
CMS isn’t the only group scrutinizing your quality and cost data any more. As the next step toward value-based health care, Medicare has begun publishing provider performance data for PQRS under “Physician Compare.” Now patients and their families can make their own data-driven choices about health care providers with an online search. The website is a game-changer. […]
Anesthesiologists’ Best Practices: How to Succeed with Medicare PQRS and VBPM
Anesthesiologists across the country are coping with a unique PQRS challenge. Different procedures and settings may mean that some practices do not have the requisite number of measures to meet requirements. Other groups will have enough measures, but the choices may not be obvious. When you have up to 6 percent of your Medicare Part […]
Orthopedists’ Survival Kit: How to Succeed with Medicare PQRS and VBPM
Pay for Performance success takes careful thought and management, particularly for specialty practices. Under Medicare’s PQRS and Value-Based Payment Modifier (VBPM), specialties have fewer measures available, which narrows reporting options—making it harder for you to meet PQRS and compare well against your peers. For Orthopedics, this is especially true. Nearly 200 PQRS measures have a […]
Does Your EMR Tell Medicare the Right Story About Your Patient Quality?
Reporting physician quality to Medicare through an EMR is an easy and affordable approach—at least on the surface. But be careful when using EHR Direct Reporting for PQRS 2015, so you don’t cost your organization as much as 4 percent in Medicare penalties or create an unappealing profile of your quality in Medicare’s public reporting. […]