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Posted By: HHS/ONC/CMS Communications August 15, 2022

ICYMI, here is recent communication from CMS.

Deadlines

Submit Comments on Policy Changes for Quality Payment Program in 2023 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule
CMS recently issued its proposed policies for the 2023 performance year of the Quality Payment Program via the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Notice of Proposed Rule Making. The deadline to submit formal comments on the proposed rule is September 6, 2022.

How To Submit Your Formal Comment(s)

You must officially submit your comments in one of the following ways:

  • Electronically (due no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on September 6, 2022)
  • Mailed (due no later than 5 p.m. ET on September 6, 2022)
    • Regular mail
    • Express or overnight mail
    • Hand or courier

News

MIPS Facility-Based Scoring Not Available for the 2022 Performance Year
In the Fiscal Year 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) /Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System Final Rule, CMS finalized the suppression of several measures in the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program for FY 2023 due to the effect of COVID-19 on measure performance.

New CMS Rule Increases Payments for Acute Care Hospitals and Advances Health Equity, Maternal Health
CMS issued a final rule for inpatient and long-term care hospitals that builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s key priorities to advance health equity and improve maternal health outcomes. As required by statute, the fiscal year 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System rule updates Medicare payments and policies for hospitals, drives high-quality, person-centered care, and promotes fiscal stewardship of the Medicare program. In addition, the rule finalizes new measures to encourage hospitals to build health equity into their core functions. These actions will improve care for people and communities who are disadvantaged or underserved by the health care system.

Roadmap for States to Help Connect Children with Complex Medical Conditions to Critical Medicaid Services
CMS unveiled guidance on a new Medicaid health home benefit for children with medically complex conditions. This new optional benefit helps state Medicaid programs provide Medicaid-eligible children who have medically complex conditions with person-centered care management, care coordination, and patient and family support. CMS anticipates that the new benefit will help these children receive the care they need, including across state lines.

Learn About Changes to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for 2023
On August 1, 2022, CMS issued the Fiscal Year 2023 Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System (PPS) Final Rule. Final changes to the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals include the following…

CMS Proposes Rule to Advance Health Equity, Improve Access to Care, & Promote Competition and Transparency
CMS is proposing actions to advance health equity and improve access to care in rural communities by establishing policies for Rural Emergency Hospitals (REH) and providing for payment for certain behavioral health services furnished via communications technology. Additionally, in line with President Biden’s Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, the calendar year 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System proposed rule includes proposed enhanced payments under the OPPS and the Inpatient Prospective Payment System for the additional costs of purchasing domestically made NIOSH-approved surgical N95 respirators and a comment solicitation on competition and transparency in our nation’s health care system.

Performance Period 2022 Eligible Clinician Electronic Clinical Quality Measure Education and Outreach Webinar Series
CMS developed and published webinar content from the Performance Period 2022 Eligible Clinician Electronic Clinical Quality Measure Education and Outreach Webinar Series. PDF slides and links to the webinar video recordings are available to review on the eCQI Resource Center (under “Get Started with eCQMs – Implementing eCQMs Eligible Clinicians”).

Quality Payment Program

Reminder: 2022 APM Incentive Payment Details Available; Learn if Action is Needed
CMS has published 2022 Alternative Payment Model (APM) Incentive Payment details on the Quality Payment Program website. To access this information, clinicians and surrogates can now log in to the QPP website using their HARP credentials.

Eligible clinicians who were Qualifying APM Participants based on their 2020 performance should have begun receiving their 2022 5% APM Incentive Payments earlier this summer. Review the updated 2022 Learning Resources for QP Status and APM Incentive Payment (ZIP) for more details. More information is also available on the Federal Register.

2020 Quality Payment Program Experience Report Now Available
CMS released the 2020 Quality Payment Program Experience Report to provide insights into participation during performance year 2020. This report builds on the previously announced 2020 participation results.

Visit the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Resource Library to Access 2023 MIPS Performance Period Self-Nomination Materials
This message is notification that the 2023 MIPS Performance Period Self-Nomination Materials (ZIP), including the below files, are now posted on the Quality Payment Program Resource Library:

  • 2023 Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) Fact Sheet
  • 2023 Qualified Registry Fact Sheet
  • 2023 Self-Nomination User Guide for QCDRs and Qualified Registries
  • 2023 QCDR Measure Development Handbook

Open and Close Dates
As a reminder, the 2023 MIPS Performance Period Self-Nomination Period will take place from 10 a.m. ET on July 1, 2022, to 8 p.m. ET on September 1, 2022.

Promoting Interoperability

The Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Application for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals is Now Available
On May 1, CMS opened the Hardship Exception Application period for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals that participated in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program in Calendar Year 2021. For the CY 2021 reporting period, CMS required that all eligible hospitals and CAHs use (1) existing 2015 Edition certification criteria, (2) the 2015 Edition Cures Update criteria, or (3) a combination of the two in order to successfully meet the program requirements, as finalized in the CY 2021 Physician Fee Schedule final rule (85 FR 84818 through 84828). CMS mandates that downward payment adjustments be applied to eligible hospitals and CAHs that were not meaningful users of CEHRT and score below the 50-point minimum requirement and failed to report two self-selected calendar quarters of eCQMs data on four self-selected eCQMs.

Administrative Simplification

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