Monday Morning Rounds with CMS

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Posted By: Roberta Mullin July 13, 2020

ICYMI, here is what has been happening at CMS.

Measure Collaboration Workspace Series – Session #1
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be holding an outreach and education webinar, Measure Collaboration Workspace Series – eCQI Resource Center, Hybrid Measure, Measure Collaboration Workspace, and the CMS Measures Inventory Tool on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, for eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals, eligible clinicians, and eligible professionals performing electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) reporting for the following CMS programs:

  • Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program
  • Medicare and Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Programs
  • Quality Payment Program: The Merit-based Incentive Payment System
  • Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs)
  • APM: Comprehensive Primary Care Plus
  • APM: Primary Care First

The webinar will be presented on July 15, 2020, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). The webinar slides will be available for download from the Quality Reporting Center under Upcoming Events the day before the presentation.

The 2021 MIPS Self-Nomination Period is Now Open
As of July 1, 2020, the 2021 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Performance Period Self-Nomination period for Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) and Qualified Registries is now open. QCDRs and Qualified Registries are CMS-approved vendors that collect clinical data on behalf of clinicians for data submission. Please note that eligible clinicians wishing to report for the 2021 MIPS performance period via the QCDR or Qualified Registry reporting mechanism do NOT need to nominate themselves. Only entities wishing to participate (and who meet the requirements) as an approved QCDR and/or Qualified Registry need to complete the self-nomination form.

CMS Proposes to Expand Coverage Policy for Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair for Patients with Mitral Valve Regurgitation
On June 30, CMS proposed to update its national coverage policy for a procedure known as Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) of the mitral valve to include patients with functional Mitral Regurgitation (MR). TEER is a less invasive treatment option that involves clipping together a portion of the mitral valve leaflets for patients with a condition where their mitral valves do not close properly.

Guidance on Allowance of Telehealth Encounters in eCQMs Now Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted guidance on the allowance of telehealth encounters for the Eligible Professional and Eligible Clinician electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) used in CMS quality reporting programs for the 2020 and 2021 performance periods. Guidance provided applies to eCQMs used in each of the following programs:

  • Quality Payment Program: The Merit-based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs)
  • APM: Comprehensive Primary Care Plus
  • APM: Primary Care First
  • Medicaid Promoting Interoperability Program for Eligible Professionals

Measures are not eligible for 2021 reporting unless and until they are proposed and finalized through notice-and-comment rulemaking for each applicable program.

Physician Compare Preview Period Open through August 20
The Physician Compare preview period is open through August 20 at 8 pm ET. Preview your 2018 Quality Payment Program performance information before it appears on the Physician Compare website profile pages and in the Downloadable Database. Access the secured preview through the Quality Payment Program website.

The Deadline for Eligible Hospitals to Submit their Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Hardship Exception Application is Tuesday, September 1
CMS requires that all eligible hospitals use 2015 Edition certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) to meet the requirements of the Promoting Interoperability Programs. CMS mandates downward payment adjustments be applied to eligible hospitals that are not meaningful users of CEHRT.

2020 Measure Development Plan (MDP) Annual Report
CMS posted the 2020 Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP) Annual Report, which describes progress in developing clinician quality measures to support the Quality Payment Program. The CMS Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP) is a focused framework for developing these measures, pointing out the known measurement and performance gaps, and recommending prioritized approaches to close those gaps.

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