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CMS Issues Proposed Rule on Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities; Finalizes Arbitration Agreements

Policy Snapshot
Skilled Nursing Care, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Federal Regulations, Practitioners, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), Resident
July 19, 2019

Last week the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued two rules, a proposed rule on requirements for long-term care (LTC) facilities and a final rule for LTC facilities arbitration agreements. The proposed rule for requirements for LTC facilities is aimed at easing some of the requirements for nursing homes to participate in Medicare and Medicaid by giving facilities more flexibility over their...

Quality Payment Program: 2018 MIPS Performance Feedback and Final Score

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management
July 19, 2019

If you submitted 2018 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data, view your performance feedback and final score on the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website. Performance feedback is also available for eligible clinicians participating in MIPS alternative payment model entities.

The MIPS payment adjustment you will receive in 2020 is based on your final score. If you believe there is an error in your payment adjustment factor calculation, request a targeted review by September 30.

For More Information:

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Quality Payment Program Participation: Preliminary Data on 2018

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
July 19, 2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a blog and released an infographic to share preliminary participation data for the Quality Payment Program (QPP) during 2018. Key findings include:

  • Overall, Merit-based Incentive
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CMMI Director Steps Down

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Practice Management, Practitioners
July 12, 2019

This week, it was announced that Adam Boehler will be stepping down from his role are the Director of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation and Deputy Administrator of the  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Mr. Boehler was nominated to become Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Development Finance Corporation, which Congress created in 2018 to merge the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Development Credit Authority. OPIC raises private capital to help development of emerging economies,...

House Energy & Commerce Passes Health Bills

Policy Snapshot
Practitioners
July 12, 2019

This week, the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee passed 10 bills out of committee. One of the bills passed was the EMPOWER for Health Act (HR 2781). The bill reauthorizes Health Workforce Programs including the Geriatric Workforce Enhancements Program (GWEP) and Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA). This legislation reflects current HRSA practices of awarding grants and collectively authorizes GWEPs and GACAs for $51,000,000.

Other bills passed out of...

SNF PPS Patient Driven Payment Model: Get Ready for Implementation on October 1

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Practice Management, Practitioners
July 12, 2019

SNF PPS Patient Driven Payment Model: Get Ready for Implementation on October 1

On October 1, the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) is replacing the Resource Utilization Group, Version IV for the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Prospective Payment System (PPS). CMS has resources to help you prepare:

QPP Participation Status Tool Now Includes First Snapshot of 2019 Qualifying APM Participant and MIPS APMs Data

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
July 3, 2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its Quality Payment Program Participation Status Tool based on the first snapshot of data from Alternative Payment Model (APM)...

The 2020 MIPS Self-Nomination Period is Now Open

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Quality Payment Program (QPP), Practice Management, Practitioners
July 3, 2019

As of July 1, 2019, the 2020 Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Self-Nomination Period for Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) and Qualified Registries is now open. Qualified Registries and QCDRs are Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved vendors that collect clinical data on behalf of clinicians for data submission. Please note that eligible clinicians wishing to report for the 2020 MIPS performance period via the Qualified Registry or QCDR reporting mechanism do NOT need to self-nominate. Only entities wishing to participate (and who meet the...

House Ways & Means Approves Medicare Related Bills

Policy Snapshot
Medicare, Practitioners, Telemedicine
June 27, 2019

Last week the House Ways & Means Committee passed five Medicare-related bills, including legislation to expand coverage of telehealth services for mental health treatment, eliminate beneficiary cost-sharing for chronic care management services, and add 1,000 new residency slots under the Graduate Medical Education program. Here are some additional specifics:

  • H.R. 3414, the Opioid Workforce Act, would fund 1,000 new residency GME positions in the areas of addiction medicine and psychiatry over the next six years.
  • H.R. 3417, the BETTER Act, was approved
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The 2019 Call for MIPS Promoting Interoperability Measures and Improvement Activities Closes July 1

Policy Snapshot
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Payment, Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act (MACRA), Merit-Based Incentive Program Payment System (MIPS), Practitioners
June 27, 2019

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) deadline to submit Promoting Interoperability Measures and Improvement Activities for consideration for future years of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) is Monday, July 1.

The MIPS Annual Call for Measures and Activities process allows clinicians, professional associations, and medical societies that represent clinicians, researchers, consumer groups, and others to identify and submit measures and activities. CMS currently is accepting submissions for:  

  • EHR measures for the
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