Monday Morning Rounds with CMS

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Posted By: HHS/ONC/CMS Communications November 18, 2024

ICYMI, here is recent communication from CMS.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming MIPS Important Dates and Deadlines

CMS would like to remind clinicians of important upcoming Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) dates and deadlines:

November 2024

December 2, 2024

  • Last day to register to report a MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) for the 2024 performance year.
  • Learn more about MVP registration.

December 2024

December 31, 2024

January 2, 2025

  • Data submission period opens for the 2024 performance year.

News

CY 2023 Hardship Exception Application Deadline for CAHs is November 30, 2024
The deadline to submit a calendar year 2023 Hardship Exception application for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for critical access hospitals (CAHs) is November 30, 2024.

HHS Finalizes Physician Payment Rule Strengthening Person-Centered Care and Health Quality Measures
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, announced it is finalizing new policies in the calendar year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule to strengthen primary care, expand access to preventive services, and further access to whole-person care for services such as behavioral health, oral health, and caregiver training. The final rule reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protecting and expanding Americans’ access to quality and affordable health care.

CMS Announces New Participants in the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that Rhode Island and s sub-section of New York have been selected to participate in Cohort 3 of the States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development (AHEAD) Model. The Cohort 3 pre-implementation period will begin January 1, 2025.

January 2025 Public Reporting Preview Data Available
From now through November 26, 2024, on the CMS Hospital Quality Reporting page, you can preview your hospital or inpatient psychiatric facility’s quality data that will publicly appear in the January 2025 release on the Compare tool on Medicare.gov and the Provider Data Catalog. Medicare beneficiaries and the public can use these tools to view quality measure data for participating hospitals and facilities.

MIPS News

Reminder: 2024 MIPS Value Pathway (MVP) Registration Open
The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) registration window is open for the 2024 performance year. Individuals, groups, subgroups, and Alternative Payment Model (APM) Entities that wish to report an MVP can register until December 2, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) Policy Applied to MIPS Eligible Clinicians Following Hurricanes Milton, Helene, and Francine
In response to Hurricane Milton, as identified by both the Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency (PHE) declaration (Florida) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declaration (DR-4834-FL), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the MIPS automatic EUC policy will apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in designated affected counties of Florida.

Quality Payment Program

New Electronic Process for Partial QPs in the Quality Payment Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would like to share the new electronic process for the election of Partial Qualifying Alternative Payment Model (APM) Participants (Partial QPs) to participate in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Historically, the election for Partial QP clinicians to participate in MIPS has been done by completing the Partial QP election form and emailing it to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Help Desk. This process will no longer exist starting in calendar year (CY) 2025 and will be replaced by a new, direct process through the QPP online application.

Administrative Simplification

MLN Matters Articles

Claims, Pricers, & Codes

CMS Innovation Center

Phreesia Secures New Contract with CMS as Report Shows Gains in Patient Activation in First Year of Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model
Phreesia, a leader in patient intake, outreach and activation, is pleased to announce that its contract with the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) for use of the Patient Activation Measure® (PAM) has been renewed through 2029. The PAM performance measure, which assesses gains in patients’ knowledge, skills and confidence in managing their own healthcare, is one of the first patient-reported outcome performance measures (PRO-PMs) used in a CMS alternative payment model. Under the new contract, Phreesia will provide access to PAM, training, analysis and other support to the Kidney Care Choices Model (KCC). CMMI also has the option to expand the PAM into additional models, including those focused on other disease states, care settings or episodes of care.