In our 5-part blog series, "Mastering MIPS," Part 1 offers effective strategies to improve scores for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2023. With many clinicians preparing to report for the first time in several years due to the end of the public health emergency (PHE) for the COVID-19 pandemic, this series aims to provide guidance on successfully navigating the reporting requirements of the traditional MIPS program. First, let's explore steps you can take to optimize your performance and achieve better scores within the program.

During the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) 2023 Spring Conference, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) highlighted its ambitious plan for transitioning fully to digital quality measurement. Their focus is on improving healthcare quality, aligning with the CMS Quality Strategy, reducing the burden on healthcare providers, and promoting health equity. In this blog post, we will discuss the CMS digital quality measurement transformation goals, Accountable Care Organization (ACO) engagement efforts, and lessons learned from these initiatives.

The use of technology has become an essential aspect of our daily lives, and the healthcare sector is no exception. Nowadays, clinicians and their practices require reliable and secure methods to collect and store patient data. As a result, an increasing number of clinicians are turning to electronic health record (EHR) systems. Over time, EHR technology has evolved, leading the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to implement a set of national standards for the secure access, exchange, and use of electronic health information that EHRs must comply with to attain voluntary certification. MDinteractive is an ONC-certified health IT vendor and CMS qualified registry. This article describes the ONC certification process and the benefits of using certified EHR technology.

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) continues to evolve and is becoming increasingly difficult for eligible clinicians to optimize their MIPS scores. While the minimum score to meet the performance threshold in 2023 remains at 75 points, achieving this score can be a challenge without careful planning. This 2023 MIPS checklist provides tips on how to get ahead of the pack and ensure the best possible outcome at the finish line.

The MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) is a new reporting structure available for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) beginning in 2023.  The MVP framework is intended to ease the reporting burden on clinicians and groups by aligning measures and activities across the Quality, Cost, and Improvement Activities categories of MIPS that are more relevant to a clinician’s scope of practice. This article answers key questions about MVPs and how MIPS reporting is expected to change in the years ahead.  

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) will be required to report electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) or MIPS CQMs beginning in 2025 after the CMS Web Interface sunsets. The shift towards a new reporting method has significant implications for ACOs, so understanding how quality will be reported and assessed is critical. In this article, we will cover what ACOs need to know about the new reporting requirements and why gaining early experience with the measures can lead to better reporting results in the future.

On November 1st, 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule which makes changes to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for 2023 and future performance years. The rule provides policy updates to the traditional Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program, the new MIPS Values Pathway (MVPs) framework, Alternative Payment Models (APMs), and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). This article provides a summary of the key provisions in the Final Rule.

The MIPS Promoting Interoperability (PI) category, which replaced the Meaningful Use program, establishes requirements that promote the electronic exchange of information using certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT). MIPS eligible clinicians and groups are scored on their performance on several PI measures. The last day to start a minimum 90-day reporting period to attest to PI is October 3, 2022. Making sense of all of the requirements can be challenging, so let’s examine how to report the PI category and the potential impact on the MIPS final score.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) performance feedback for the 2021 performance year, including MIPS final scores and associated payment adjustments. Clinicians, groups and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Entities that participated in MIPS and believe there’s an error in the calculation of their MIPS payment adjustment can request a targeted review until October 21, 2022 at 8:00pm EST. This article outlines how to check your performance feedback to determine if you are receiving a positive, negative, or neutral payment adjustment and what steps to take if you have any concerns.

The MIPS Improvement Activities (IA) performance category measures a clinician or group’s engagement in clinical activities that improve clinical practice, care delivery, and outcomes. This year clinicians will need to attest to the Improvement Activities category, alongside reporting other MIPS categories, to ensure they reach the new minimum threshold of 75 points needed to avoid a MIPS penalty. The last day to start a new activity for a minimum 90-day reporting period is October 3, 2022. This article provides an overview of the IA category and offers tips on selecting activities most relevant to a clinician’s practice.