2019 MIPS Measure #238: Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly

Measure Description

Percentage of patients 65 years of age and older who were ordered high-risk medications. Two rates are submitted.

1) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least one high-risk medication.
2) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least two of the same high-risk medication

Instructions

This measure is to be submitted a minimum of once per performance period for patients seen during the performance period. There is no diagnosis associated with this measure. This measure may be submitted by Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who perform the quality actions described in the measure based on the services provided and the measure-specific denominator coding.

This measure will be calculated with 2 performance rates:

1) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least one high-risk medication
2) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least two of the same high-risk medication

MIPS eligible clinicians should continue to submit the measure as specified, with no additional steps needed to account for multiple performance rates.

Measure Submission Type:

Measure data may be submitted by individual MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, or third party intermediaries. The listed denominator criteria are used to identify the intended patient population. The numerator options included in this specification are used to submit the quality actions as allowed by the measure. The quality-data codes listed do not need to be submitted by MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, or third party intermediaries that utilize this modality for submissions; however, these codes may be submitted for those third party intermediaries that utilize Medicare Part B claims data. For more information regarding Application Programming Interface (API), please refer to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website.

THERE ARE TWO SUBMISSION CRITERIA FOR THIS MEASURE:

1) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least one high-risk medication

OR

2) Percentage of patients who were ordered at least two of the same high-risk medications

SUBMISSION CRITERIA 1: PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS WHO WERE ORDERED AT LEAST ONE HIGH-RISK MEDICATION

Denominator (Submission Criteria 1)

Patients 65 years and older who had a visit during the measurement period

Denominator Criteria (Eligible Cases) 1:

Patients aged ≥ 65 years on date of encounter

AND

Patient encounter during performance period (CPT or HCPCS): 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, G0438, G0439

AND NOT

DENOMINATOR EXCLUSION:

Patients who use hospice services any time during the measurement period: G9741

Numerator (Submission Criteria 1)

Percentage of patients who were ordered at least one high-risk medication during the measurement period

Definitions:

The intent of Numerator 1 is to assess if the patient has been prescribed at least one high-risk medication.

Cumulative Medication Duration - an individual’s total number of medication days over a specific period; the period counts multiple prescriptions with gaps in between, but does not count the gaps during which a medication was not dispensed.

To determine the cumulative medication duration, determine first the number of the Medication Days for each prescription in the period: the number of doses divided by the dose frequency per day. Then add the Medication Days for each prescription without counting any days between the prescriptions.

Table 1 – High-Risk Medications at any dose or duration

Table 2 - High-Risk Medications With Days Supply Criteria

NUMERATOR NOTE: Some high-risk medications are not included in this specific measure but should be avoided above a specified average daily dose. These medications are listed in Table 3. To calculate an average daily dose multiply the quantity of pills ordered by the dose of each pill and divide by the days supply. For example, a prescription for a 30-days supply of digoxin containing 15 pills, 0.250 mg each pill, has an average daily dose of 1.125 mg.

Table 3 - High-Risk Medications With Average Daily Dose Criteria

Numerator Instructions:

INVERSE MEASURE - A lower calculated performance rate for this measure indicates better clinical care or control. The “Performance Not Met” numerator option for this measure is the representation of the better clinical quality or control. Submitting that numerator option will produce a performance rate that trends closer to 0%, as quality increases. For inverse measures a rate of 100% means all of the denominator eligible patients did not receive the appropriate care or were not in proper control.

A high-risk medication is identified by either of the following:

• A prescription for medications classified as high risk at any dose and for any duration listed in Table 1
• Prescriptions for medications classified as high risk at any dose with greater than a 90 day cumulative medication duration listed in Table 2

Numerator Options:

Performance Met: One high-risk medication ordered (G9365)

OR

Performance Not Met: One high-risk medication not ordered (G9366)

SUBMISSION CRITERIA 2: PERCENTAGE OF PATIENTS with at least two ORDERs for the same HIGH-RISK MEDICATION

Denominator (Submission Criteria 2)

Patients 65 years and older who had a visit during the measurement period

Denominator Criteria (Eligible Cases) 2:

Patients aged ≥ 65 years on date of encounter

AND

Patient encounter during performance period (CPT or HCPCS): 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, G0438, G0439

AND NOT

DENOMINATOR EXCLUSION:

Patients who use hospice services any time during the measurement period: G9741

Numerator (Submission Criteria 2)

Percentage of patients with at least two orders for the same high-risk medication- during the measurement period

Definitions:

The intent of Numerator 2 is to assess if the patient has either been prescribed at least two of the same high-risk medication in Table 4, received two or more prescriptions, where the sum of days supply exceeds 90 days, for medications in the same medication class in Table 5 The intent of the measure is to assess if the submitting provider ordered the high-risk medication(s). If the patient had a high-risk medication previously prescribed by another provider, they would not be counted towards the numerator unless the submitting provider also ordered a high-risk medication for them.

Cumulative Medication Duration – an individual’s total number of medication days over a specific period; the period counts multiple prescriptions with gaps in between, but does not count the gaps during which a medication was not dispensed.

To determine the cumulative medication duration, determine first the number of the Medication Days for each prescription in the period: the number of doses divided by the dose frequency per day. Then add the Medication Days for each prescription without counting any days between the prescriptions.

For example, there is an original prescription for 30 days with 2 refills for thirty days each. After a gap of 3 months, the medication was prescribed again for 60 days with 1 refill for 60 days. The cumulative medication duration is (30 x 3) + (60 x 2) = 210 days over the 10 month period.

Table 4 - High-Risk Medications at any dose or duration

*The registry version of the measure specifications only indicates the classes of drugs that are considered high-risk and do not include the specific coding of RxNorm. However, this measure aligns with the eCQM measure (CMS 156) and providers may review the RxNorm codes in the applicable eCQM value sets for submission.

Table 5 - High-Risk Medications With Days Supply Criteria

NUMERATOR NOTE: Some high-risk medications are not included in this specific measure but should be avoided above a specified average daily dose. These medications are listed in Table 6. To calculate an average daily dose multiply the quantity of pills ordered by the dose of each pill and divide by the days supply. For example, a prescription for a 30-days supply of digoxin containing 15 pills, 0.250 mg each pill, has an average daily dose of 0.125 mg.

Table 6 - DAE-C: High-Risk Medications With Average Daily Dose Criteria

Numerator Instructions:

INVERSE MEASURE - A lower calculated performance rate for this measure indicates better clinical care or control. The “Performance Not Met” numerator option for this measure is the representation of the better clinical quality or control. Submitting that numerator option will produce a performance rate that trends closer to 0%, as quality increases. For inverse measures a rate of 100% means all of the denominator eligible patients did not receive the appropriate care or were not in proper control.

A high-risk medication is identified by either of the following:

• A prescription for medications classified as high risk at any dose and for any duration listed in Table 4
• Prescriptions for medications classified as high risk at any dose with greater than a 90 day cumulative medication duration listed in Table 5

Numerator Options:

Performance Met: At least two orders for the same high-risk medication (G9367)

OR

Performance Not Met: At least two orders for the same high-risk medications not ordered (G9368)