As we put the 2019 MIPS reporting year behind us, it is helpful to start planning for 2020 since some of the requirements have changed. The number of MIPS points needed to avoid any penalties has increased to 45 MIPS points (up from 30 points in 2019) and you must reach 85 MIPS points for an exceptional performance bonus (up from 75 points). Payment adjustments are also higher at +/-9% (up from +/-7%), so the financial risk of not reporting is much greater. Before you get started with your reporting, go through this 2020 MIPS Reporting Guide to understand your reporting obligations and prepare a strategy to help your practice meet its reporting goals.

‘Tis the season for MIPS! We know this can be a stressful time of year, but using a CMS approved Qualified Registry such as MDinteractive can simplify your MIPS reporting and help you cross it off your to-do list. Not only can registries help you stay on top of the changing rules each year, but they can also provide useful tools to simplify the reporting process so you reach your MIPS goals. In this article we have listed some of the top reasons to consider using a registry like MDinteractive and the ways in which we can make your MIPS reporting less stressful.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released its Final Rule for the Quality Payment Program (QPP), with several changes to MIPS in 2020 and future reporting years. The Final Rule continues to gradually increase the reporting requirements under the MIPS program. In this article we will highlight the most important changes you need to know for the 2020 performance year and how they could impact your bottom line. We will also cover how CMS plans to transform the program in 2021 to reduce your reporting burden.

Cost is the fourth performance category under the MIPS program and makes up 15% of your total MIPS score for 2019 (up from 10% in 2018 and 0% in 2017). This category will steadily increase to 30% by the year 2022 when it will have the same weight as Quality. If CMS is unable to calculate a Cost score for a clinician, the category will be reweighted to Quality. While clinicians can relatively quickly change their MIPS Quality score by tracking some specific outcomes (e.g., track smoking status and give cessation advice), Cost is more challenging. It is more complex with many different variables, so monitoring Cost becomes important as it contributes more towards your final MIPS score. MDinteractive can help you access your CMS performance feedback reports which will provide your Cost score from prior MIPS reporting years.  In this article we will explore the different cost measures, how they are scored and the potential impact on your practice.

CMS has released the 2018 MIPS performance feedback. The feedback will include a clinician or group’s performance category scores, final MIPS score and payment adjustment information. Any upward, downward or neutral payment adjustment will apply to the clinician or group’s 2020 Medicare Part B payments for covered professional services. CMS is allowing a Targeted Review to be requested until September 30, 2019.

The 2019 MIPS performance period is in full swing. MIPS eligible clinicians and groups must achieve at least 30 MIPS points in 2019 to avoid any penalty. If they choose not to report, it’s an automatic 7% penalty against their 2021 Medicare Part B payments.  We have developed this MIPS Reporting Checklist to explain your reporting options and help you plan your strategy for participating in MIPS this year.

With another MIPS performance year behind us, it is not too early to start thinking about a reporting strategy to ensure MIPS success for 2019. This year CMS is providing new flexibility to report quality measures through multiple submission methods which can help improve MIPS scores and increase incentive payments. In this article we demonstrate how combining registry and EHR measures will help specific clinicians with their MIPS reporting. The strategy would not only boost their MIPS scores, but it would also increase their Medicare payments by thousands of dollars.

CMS recently reported that 95% of MIPS eligible clinicians received a positive or neutral payment adjustment for their MIPS performance in 2017. Unfortunately, this means that 5% of MIPS eligible clinicians will be penalized in 2019 for not reporting MIPS last year. And the penalty for not reporting is even higher this year - an automatic 5% deduction of your 2020 Medicare reimbursements. There’s still time to report MIPS for 2018 to protect your Medicare reimbursement. MDinteractive’s 2018 MIPS Reporting Checklist will guide you through the steps to take now to successfully report MIPS.

CMS has updated the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Participation Status Tool for clinicians to check their final 2018 eligibility status for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Clinicians can enter their individual National Provider Identifier (NPI) here to learn if they are required to report MIPS for 2018. It’s important for them to check their eligibility status now to determine if they must report.  MIPS eligible clinicians who do not report MIPS this year will receive an automatic negative 5% penalty on their Medicare Part B payments in 2020.