Monday Morning Rounds with CMS

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin September 7, 2020

ICYMI, here is recent communication from CMS.

Now Available: CMS developed and published the 2021 performance period electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) flows for eligible professionals/eligible clinicians and eligible hospitals/critical access hospitals to the eCQI Resource Center.

Learn More About 2020 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements – In 2020, CMS continues its overhaul of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program to continue the advancement of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) utilization, focusing on burden reduction, and improving interoperability and patient access to health information. For more information on these reporting requirements and additional Promoting Interoperability Programs information, please review:

Revised Guidance Issued: CMS revised guidence for COVID-19 Policies for Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Hospitals, Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs), and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) due to Provisions of the CARES Act issued. It includes a new requirement for hospitals to get a Medicare payment boost for caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. In a letter to CMS from AHA, they state that adding the requirement to have a positive COVID-19 laboratory test documented in the patient’s medical record in order for the claim to be eligible would cause undue burden and more unnecessary testing for hospitals.

CMS Acts to Spur Innovation for America’s Seniors – CMS issued the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technology (MCIT) proposed rule, that unleashes innovative technology so Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest, most cutting-edge devices. Proposal would eliminate this lag time for both seniors and innovators. Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until November 2, 2020.

Deadline to submit only 1 month away – MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups (along with their designated support staff or authorized third-party intermediary), including APM participants, may request the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to review the calculation of their 2020 MIPS payment adjustment factor(s) through a process called targeted review. The deadline to submit your request is October 5, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). Log in using your HCQIS Access Roles and Profile System (HARP) credentials; these are the same credentials that allowed you to submit your MIPS data.

Participate in Field Testing of Cost Measures Now through September 18 – Field testing will take place starting August 17 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) to September 18, 2020. Clinicians and clinician groups who meet the attribution requirements for at least one of the measures listed below will receive a Field Test Report. All stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on the draft measure specifications through an online survey, which closes on September 18, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Participation is voluntary.

New Resources available – CMS has released new electronic clinical quality measures (eCQM) educational resources on the eCQI Resource Center, a summary of the eCQM Strategy project, and enhancements to the Measure Collaboration (MC) Workspace.

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