Measure Description
Percentage of patients 45-75 years of age who had appropriate screening for colorectal cancer
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. Performance for this measure is not limited to the performance period. 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 services provided and the measure- specific denominator coding.
NOTE: Patient encounters for this measure conducted via telehealth (e.g., encounters coded with GQ, GT, 95, or POS 02 modifiers) are allowable.
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.
The intent of the exclusion for individuals age 66 and older residing in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes, is to exclude individuals who may have limited life expectancy and increased frailty where the benefit of the process may not exceed the risks. This exclusion is not intended as a clinical recommendation regarding whether the measures process is inappropriate for specific populations, instead the exclusion allows clinicians to engage in shared decision making with patients about the benefits and risks of screening when an individual has limited life expectancy.
Denominator
Patients 45-75 years of age with a visit during the measurement period
DENOMINATOR NOTE: To assess the age for exclusions, the patient’s age on the date of the encounter should be used
*Signifies that this CPT Category I code is a non-covered service under the Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule (PFS). These non-covered services should be counted in the denominator population for MIPS CQMs.
Denominator Criteria (Eligible Cases):
Patients 45 to 75 years of age on date of encounter
AND
Patient encounter during the performance period (CPT or HCPCS): 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99341, 99342, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, 99386*, 99387*, 99396*, 99397*, G0438, G0439
AND NOT
DENOMINATOR EXCLUSIONS:
Patients with a diagnosis or past history of total colectomy or colorectal cancer: G9711
OR
Patient was provided hospice services any time during the measurement period: G9710
OR
Patient was provided palliative care services any time during the measurement period: G9993
OR
Patient age 66 or older in Institutional Special Needs Plans (SNP) or residing in long-term care with POS code 32, 33, 34, 54, or 56 for more than 90 consecutive days during the measurement period: G9901
OR
Patients 66 years of age and older with at least one claim/encounter for frailty during the measurement period AND a dispensed medication for dementia during the measurement period or the year prior to the measurement period: G2100
OR
Patients 66 years of age and older with at least one claim/encounter for frailty during the measurement period AND either one acute inpatient encounter with a diagnosis of advanced illness or two outpatient, observation, ED or nonacute inpatient encounters on different dates of service with an advanced illness diagnosis during the measurement period or the year prior to the measurement period: G2101
Table: Dementia Exclusion Medications
Description | Prescriptions | |
Cholinesterase inhibitors | Donepezil | Rivastigimine |
Miscellaneous central nervous system agents | Memantine | |
Codes to identify Frailty: 99504, 99509, E0100, E0105, E0130, E0135, E0140, E0141, E0143, E0144, E0147, E0148, E0149, E0163, E0165, E0167, E0168, E0170, E0171, E0250, E0251, E0255, E0256, E0260, E0261, E0265, E0266, E0270, E0290, E0291, E0292, E0293, E0294, E0295, E0296, E0297, E0301, E0302, E0303, E0304, E0424, E0425, E0430, E0431, E0433, E0434, E0435, E0439, E0440, E0441, E0442, E0443, E0444, E0462, E0465, E0466, E0470, E0471, E0472, E0561, E0562, E1130, E1140, E1150, E1160, E1161, E1240, E1250, E1260, E1270, E1280, E1285, E1290, E1295, E1296, E1297, E1298, G0162, G0299, G0300, G0493, G0494, S0271, S0311, S9123, S9124, T1000, T1001, T1002, T1003, T1004, T1005, T1019, T1020, T1021, T1022, T1030, T1031, L89.000, L89.001, L89.002, L89.003, L89.004, L89.006, L89.009, L89.010, L89.011, L89.012, L89.013, L89.014, L89.016, L89.019, L89.020, L89.021, L89.022, L89.023, L89.024, L89.026, L89.029, L89.100, L89.101, L89.102, L89.103, L89.104, L89.106, L89.109, L89.110, L89.111, L89.112, L89.113, L89.114, L89.116, L89.119, L89.120, L89.121, L89.122, L89.123, L89.124, L89.126, L89.129, L89.130, L89.131, L89.132, L89.133, L89.134, L89.136, L89.139, L89.140, L89.141, L89.142, L89.143, L89.144, L89.146, L89.149, L89.150, L89.151, L89.152, L89.153, L89.154, L89.156, L89.159, L89.200, L89.201, L89.202, L89.203, L89.204, L89.206, L89.209, L89.210, L89.211, L89.212, L89.213, L89.214, L89.216, L89.219, L89.220, L89.221, L89.222, L89.223, L89.224, L89.226, L89.229, L89.300, L89.301, L89.302, L89.303, L89.304, L89.306, L89.309, L89.310, L89.311, L89.312, L89.313, L89.314, L89.316, L89.319, L89.320, L89.321, L89.322, L89.323, L89.324, L89.326, L89.329, L89.40, L89.41, L89.42, L89.43, L89.44, L89.45, L89.46, L89.500, L89.501, L89.502, L89.503, L89.504, L89.506, L89.509, L89.510, L89.511, L89.512, L89.513, L89.514, L89.516, L89.519, L89.520, L89.521, L89.522, L89.523, L89.524, L89.526, L89.529, L89.600, L89.601, L89.602, L89.603, L89.604, L89.606, L89.609, L89.610, L89.611, L89.612, L89.613, L89.614, L89.616, L89.619, L89.620, L89.621, L89.622, L89.623, L89.624, L89.626, L89.629, L89.810, L89.811, L89.812, L89.813, L89.814, L89.816, L89.819, L89.890, L89.891, L89.892, L89.893, L89.894, L89.896, L89.899, L89.90, L89.91, L89.92, L89.93, L89.94, L89.95, L89.96, M62.50, M62.81, M62.84, R26.0, R26.1, R26.2, R26.89, R26.9, R41.81, R53.1, R53.81, R53.83, R54, R62.7, R63.4, R63.6, R64, W01.0XXA, W01.0XXD, W01.0XXS, W01.10XA, W01.10XD, W01.10XS, W01.110A, W01.110D, W01.110S, W01.111A, W01.111D, W01.111S, W01.118A, W01.118D, W01.118S, W01.119A, W01.119D, W01.119S, W01.190A, W01.190D, W01.190S, W01.198A, W01.198D, W01.198S, W06.XXXA, W06.XXXD, W06.XXXS, W07.XXXA, W07.XXXD, W07.XXXS, W08.XXXA, W08.XXXD, W08.XXXS, W10.0XXA, W10.0XXD, W10.0XXS, W10.1XXA, W10.1XXD, W10.1XXS, W10.2XXA, W10.2XXD, W10.2XXS, W10.8XXA, W10.8XXD, W10.8XXS, W10.9XXA, W10.9XXD, W10.9XXS, W18.00XA, W18.00XD, W18.00XS, W18.02XA, W18.02XD, W18.02XS, W18.09XA, W18.09XD, W18.09XS, W18.11XA, W18.11XD, W18.11XS, W18.12XA, W18.12XD, W18.12XS, W18.2XXA, W18.2XXD, W18.2XXS, W18.30XA, W18.30XD, W18.30XS, W18.31XA, W18.31XD, W18.31XS, W18.39XA, W18.39XD, W18.39XS, W19.XXXA, W19.XXXD, W19.XXXS, Y92.199, Z59.3, Z73.6, Z74.01, Z74.09, Z74.1, Z74.2, Z74.3, Z74.8, Z74.9, Z91.81, Z99.11, Z99.3, Z99.81, Z99.89
Codes to identify Advanced Illness: A81.00, A81.01, A81.09, C25.0, C25.1, C25.2, C25.3, C25.4, C25.7, C25.8,
C25.9, C71.0, C71.1, C71.2, C71.3, C71.4, C71.5, C71.6, C71.7, C71.8, C71.9, C77.0, C77.1, C77.2, C77.3, C77.4, C77.5, C77.8, C77.9, C78.00, C78.01, C78.02, C78.1, C78.2, C78.30, C78.39, C78.4, C78.5, C78.6, C78.7, C78.80, C78.89, C79.00, C79.01, C79.02, C79.10, C79.11, C79.19, C79.2, C79.31, C79.32, C79.40, C79.49, C79.51, C79.52, C79.60, C79.61, C79.62, C79.70, C79.71, C79.72, C79.81, C79.82, C79.89, C79.9, C91.00, C91.02, C92.00, C92.02, C93.00, C93.02, C93.90, C93.92, C93.Z0, C93.Z2, C94.30, C94.32, F01.50, F01.51, F01.511, F01.518, F01.52, F01.53, F01.54, F01.A0, F01.A11, F01.A18, F01.A2, F01.A3, F01.A4, F01.B0, F01.B11, F01.B18, F01.B2, F01.B3, F01.B4, F01.C0, F01.C11, F01.C18, F01.C2, F01.C3, F01.C4, F02.80, F02.81, F02.811, F02.818, F02.82, F02.83, F02.84, F02.A0, F02.A11, F02.A18, F02.A2, F02.A3, F02.A4, F02.B0, F02.B11, F02.B18, F02.B2, F02.B3, F02.B4, F02.C0, F02.C11, F02.C18, F02.C2, F02.C3, F02.C4, F03.90, F03.91, F03.911, F03.918, F03.92, F03.93, F03.94, F03.A0, F03.A11, F03.A18, F03.A2, F03.A3, F03.A4, F03.B0, F03.B11, F03.B18, F03.B2, F03.B3, F03.B4, F03.C0, F03.C11, F03.C18, F03.C2, F03.C3, F03.C4, F04, F10.27, F10.96, F10.97, G10, G12.21, G20, G30.0, G30.1, G30.8, G30.9, G31.01, G31.09, G31.83, I09.81, I11.0, I12.0, I13.0, I13.11, I13.2, I50.1, I50.20, I50.21, I50.22, I50.23, I50.30, I50.31, I50.32, I50.33, I50.40, I50.41, I50.42, I50.43, I50.810, I50.811, I50.812, I50.813, I50.814, I50.82, I50.83, I50.84, I50.89, I50.9, J43.0, J43.1, J43.2, J43.8, J43.9, J68.4, J84.10, J84.112, J84.170, J84.178, J96.10, J96.11, J96.12, J96.20, J96.21, J96.22, J96.90, J96.91, J96.92, J98.2, J98.3, K70.10, K70.11, K70.2, K70.30, K70.31, K70.40, K70.41, K70.9, K74.00, K74.01, K74.02, K74.1, K74.2, K74.4, K74.5, K74.60, K74.69, N18.5, N18.6
Numerator
Patients with one or more screenings for colorectal cancer. Appropriate screenings are defined by any one of the following criteria:
- Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) during the measurement period
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy during the measurement period or the four years prior to the measurement period
- Colonoscopy during the measurement period or the nine years prior to the measurement period
- Computed tomography (CT) colonography during the measurement period or the four years prior to the measurement period.
- Fecal immunochemical DNA test (FIT-DNA) during the measurement period or the two years prior to the measurement period.
NUMERATOR GUIDANCE
Do not count digital rectal exams (DRE) fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) performed in an office setting or performed on a sample collected via DRE.
NUMERATOR NOTE: Patient reported procedures and diagnostic studies, when recorded in the medical record, are acceptable for meeting the numerator.
Numerator Options:
Performance Met: Colorectal cancer screening results documented and reviewed (3017F)
OR
Performance Not Met: Colorectal cancer screening results were not documented and reviewed, reason not otherwise specified (3017F with 8P)
Rationale
Colorectal cancer represents eight percent of all new cancer cases in the United States. In 2020, there are an estimated 147,950 new cases of colorectal cancer and an estimated 53,200 deaths attributed to it. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 4.2 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer at some point during their lifetimes. For most adults, older age is the most important risk factor for colorectal cancer, although being male and black are also associated with higher incidence and mortality. Colorectal cancer is most frequently diagnosed among people 65 to 74 years old (National Cancer Institute, 2020).
Screening can be effective for finding precancerous lesions (polyps) that could later become malignant, and for detecting early cancers that can be more easily and effectively treated. Precancerous polyps usually take about 10 to 15 years to develop into colorectal cancer, and most can be found and removed before turning into cancer. The five-year relative survival rate for people whose colorectal cancer is found in the early stage before it has spread is about 90 percent (American Cancer Society, 2020).
Clinical Recommendation Statements
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2021) recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults aged 45 to 49 years. This is a Grade B recommendation (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force 2021).
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2021) recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults aged 50 to 75 years. This is a Grade A recommendation (U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, 2021).
Appropriate screenings are defined by any one of the following:
- Colonoscopy (every 10 years)
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy (every 5 years)
- Fecal occult blood test (annually)
- FIT-DNA test (every 3 years)
- Computed tomographic colonography (every 5 years)