(PQRS) AM News Reports 2012 Last Year for Physicians to Voluntarily Report Quality Data (jump to story)

(PQRS & eRX) National Provider Call: Claims-Based Reporting for the Physician Quality Reporting System & Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (jump to story)

(Purchasing) National Provider Call:  Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (jump to story)

(eRx) Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: Updates for 2012 (jump to story)

(Observation) Some Medicare Beneficiaries Receive Large Bills Over “Observation Care” Status (jump to story)

CMS Gives Consumers Access to More Details about Infection Rates at America’s Hospitals – Data Will Save Lives, Cut Costs (jump to story)

(EHR) CMS Has Updated the EHR Information Center with New Self-Service Options (jump to story)

(EHR) Updated and New FAQs Added to the CMS EHR Website (jump to story)

(EHR) Stay Informed via the CMS EHR Incentive Programs Listserv (jump to story)

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AM News Reports 2012 Last Year for Physicians to Voluntarily Report Quality Data

According to coverage in AM News, “…doctors have only this year to report data to the program voluntarily.” …doctors who don’t report data will not only not be eligible for a bonus but may be dinged with a 1.5% penalty on their payments in 2015.”  Read more in AM News.

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National Provider Call:  Claims-Based Reporting for the Physician Quality Reporting System & Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program – Registration Now Open

Tue Feb 21; 1:30-3pm ET

CMS will host a National Provider Call on the Physician Quality Reporting System & Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program.  Subject matter experts will provide an overview on claims-based reporting for both programs, followed by a question and answer session.

Target Audience:  All Medicare Fee-For-Service Providers, Medical Coders, Physician Office Staff, Provider Billing Staff, Electronic Health Records Staff, and Vendors

Agenda:

• Opening Remarks
• Program Announcements
• Overview of claims-based reporting for the Physician Quality Reporting System
• Overview of claims-based reporting for the eRx Incentive Program
• Question & Answer Session

Registration Information:  In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call.  Registration will close at 12pm on the day of the call or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early.  For more details, including instructions on registering for the call, please visit http://www.eventsvc.com/blhtechnologies.

Presentation:  The presentation for this call will be posted at least one day in advance at http://www.CMS.gov/PQRS/04_CMSSponsoredCalls.asp in the “Downloads” section of the page.

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National Provider Call:  Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program – Registration Now Open

Tue Feb 28; 1:30-3pm ET

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be creating hospital-specific performance reports that simulate the FY2013 Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program for each hospital to review; the simulated reports will employ hospital data from prior years to construct each hospital’s baseline period and performance period scores.  To prepare providers for interpreting the simulated report, this National Provider Call will discuss a sample report that shows what hospitals can expect when they receive their own reports.

Target Audience:  Hospitals, Quality Improvement Organizations, medical coders, physician office staff, provider billing staff, health records staff, vendors, and all Medicare Fee-For-Service providers.

Agenda:

• Opening Remarks

• Program Announcements

• Overview of the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program

• Presentation and Walkthrough of the Hospital-Specific Report

• Question & Answer Session

Registration Information:  In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call.  Registration will close at 12pm on the day of the call or when available space has been filled; no exceptions will be made, so please register early.  For more details, including instructions on registering for the call, please visit http://www.eventsvc.com/blhtechnologies.

Presentation:  The presentation for this call will be posted at least one day in advance at http://www.CMS.gov/Hospital-Value-Based-Purchasing in the “Downloads” section of the page.

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Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program: Updates for 2012

The Medicare Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program, which began January 1, 2009 and is authorized under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, provides incentives for eligible professionals who are successful electronic prescribers. A web page dedicated to providing all the latest news on the eRx Incentive Program is available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website at http://www.cms.gov/ERxIncentive.

Under section 1848(a)(5)(A) of the Social Security Act, for years 2012 through 2014, a Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) payment adjustment applies to eligible professionals who are not successful electronic prescribers at an increasing rate through 2014. Specifically, if the eligible professional is not a successful electronic prescriber for the respective reporting period for the appropriate program year, the PFS amount for covered professional services during the year shall be a percentage less than the PFS amount that would otherwise apply.

The following are key changes for the 2012 eRx Incentive Program:

Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) changes
Group practices (who self-nominated and were selected by CMS to participate in the Group Practice Reporting Option) can qualify to earn an eRx incentive if it is determined that the practice is a successful electronic prescriber. This incentive payment is equal to 1.0 percent of the total estimated Medicare Part B PFS allowed charges under the group practice’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).  The minimum number of times a group must report the eRx measure is 2,500 for large group practices participating in eRx GPRO participants (100 or more individual eligible professionals), 625 for small group practices participating in eRx GPRO (25-99 individual eligible professionals).

Important Changes for the 2013 eRx Payment Adjustment

• Added a second reporting period to avoid the 2013 eRx payment adjustment (6-month reporting period, January 1-June 30, 2012)
• Eligible professionals can report on any billable Medicare Part B PFS service to avoid the 2013 payment adjustment.
• Hardship exemption requests are available for eligible professionals who are unable to report the eRx measure.

Avoiding the 2013 eRx Payment Adjustment

• In order to avoid the 2013 payment adjustment, eligible professionals are now able to report the eRx Quality-Data Code (QDC) on any billable Medicare Part B PFS service. In previous program years, eRx events could only be reported with specified encounter codes. Please note that reporting denominator- eligible events is still required to earn an incentive payment for 2012.
•  Additional information on how to avoid future eRx payment adjustments can be found in the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program – Future Payment Adjustments document located on the CMS eRx website at http://www.cms.gov/ERxIncentive.asp, under the “Educational Resources” section.

2012 Hardship Exemption Requests to Avoid the 2013 Payment Adjustment

• Individual eligible professionals requesting hardship exemptions from the 2013 eRx payment adjustment will be able to submit their request using the CMS Quality Reporting Communication Support Page located at https://www.qualitynet.org/portal/server.pt/community/communications_support_system/234.
• CMS will announce when the Quality Reporting Communication Support Page becomes available for requesting a hardship exemption for the 2013 eRx payment adjustment.
• For more information on the 2012 eRx hardship exemption categories and on the process for requesting an exemption visit the CMS Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program at http://www.cms.gov/ERxIncentive.

Additional Information

• For more information on the 2012 eRx Incentive Program, go to https://www.cms.gov/ERxIncentive/06_E-Prescribing_Measure.asp
•  For more information on avoiding future payment adjustments, go to https://www.cms.gov/ERxIncentive/20_Payment_Adjustment_Information.asp

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Some Medicare Beneficiaries Receive Large Bills Over “Observation Care” Status.

CMS, in an effort to reduce spending, requires medical necessity for a patient to be admitted to the hospital. Many times, however, it cannot be determined immediately if patients do require admission to the hospital. In these cases, patients are admitted to observation (today commonly called the CDU, or Clinical Decision Unit) to try to determine if the patient does need to be admitted or can be released. Observation is considered an Outpatient Service (even though the patient is in a hospital bed in the hospital), just as Emergency Room care is considered outpatient service. Patients who have received Observation Care, once they return home and receive a bill,  are stunned to find that they are paying according to Medicare Part B. Part B has a deductible plus a 20% co-insurance for all services they received in the hospital as an outpatient. Read more here:  Wall Street Journal

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CMS Gives Consumers Access to More Details about Infection Rates at America’s Hospitals – Data Will Save Lives, Cut Costs

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are among the most serious of all healthcare-associated infections, resulting in thousands of deaths each year and nearly $700 million in added costs to the US healthcare system.  On Tue Feb 7, CMS announced that Hospital Compare will now include data about how often these preventable infections occur in hospital intensive care units across the country.  This step will hold hospitals accountable for bringing down these rates, saving thousands of lives and millions of dollars each year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in 2009, there were about 41,000 CLABSIs in US hospitals.  Studies show that up to 25 percent of patients who get a CLABSI will die from the infection.  Caring for a patient with a CLABSI adds about $17,000 to a hospitalization.  These infections prolong hospitalizations and can cause death.

Hospital Compare is one of Medicare’s most popular web tools.  The site receives about 1 million page views each month and is available in English and in Spanish.  More information about Hospital Compare is online at http://www.HospitalCompare.HHS.gov.

To view the CMS video of Nancy Foster, Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety Policy at the American Hospital Association, discussing Hospital Compare, visit the CMS YouTube channel.

The full text of this excerpted CMS press release (issued Tue Feb 7) can be found at http://www.CMS.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=4260.

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CMS Has Updated the EHR Information Center with New Self-Service Option

Following months of review and collective input, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Information Center Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system has been enhanced to provide users with an increased number of options and services to make accessing and reviewing data easier than ever before.

For eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, or critical access hospitals (CAHs), the revised functionality vastly improves the efficiency in obtaining desired information, while also offering a more varied amount of information and options for callers.  CMS is proud to announce that providers can now obtain information through an extensive IVR Self-Service option.  Included in this option is a reinforced privacy protection module that requires your individual National Provider Identifier (NPI), the last five digits of your Tax Identification Number (TIN), and your EHR registration ID.  Once accepted, this newly enhanced Self-Service tool allows you to:

• Obtain registration status
• Acquire attestation status
• Review payment information
• Check progress towards meeting the $24,000 threshold amount

Users may access these new options by dialing 888-734-6433, pressing 3 for Self-Service, and entering the authentication elements.  These options will be available on the IVR effective Thu Feb 16.

EHR Information Center Hours of Operation:  7:30am-6:30pm CT, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.  (Note that General Information and Self-Service options may be reached via IVR 24 hours a day, except during periods of planned system maintenance or upgrades).

Supplementary information on the program may also be viewed by visiting the FAQs section of the EHR Incentive Programs website, where users can search for any questions they have about the Medicare or Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?  Make sure to visit the EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.

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Updated and New FAQs Added to the CMS EHR Website

CMS wants to help keep you updated with information on the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and has recently updated previously-posted FAQs and added new FAQs on several incentive program topics, including reporting periods and incentive payments.  Take a minute and review these FAQs:

• For the 2011 payment year, how and when will incentive payments for the Medicare EHR Incentive Programs be made?  Read the answer.
• What are the EHR reporting periods for eligible hospitals participating in both the Medicare and the Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, as well as the requirements for receiving an EHR incentive payment?  Read the answer.
• For the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs, how will non-standard (or irregular) cost reporting periods be taken into account in determining the appropriate cost reporting periods to employ during the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Hospital Calculations?  Read the answer.
• In order to qualify for payment under the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for having adopted, implemented, or upgraded to (AIU) certified EHR technology, an eligible professional (EP) working at an Indian Health Services (IHS) clinic may be asked to submit to their State Medicaid Agency an official letter containing information about the clinic’s electronic health record from IHS (which is an Operating Division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services).  The information in this letter identifies the EHR vendor, the ONC Certified Heath IT Product List (CHPL) number of the EHR, as well as other information regarding the EHR product version and licensure.  Does this letter meet states’ documentation requirements for AIU?  Read the answer.
• For the Medicaid EHR Incentive Program, how do we determine Medicaid patient volume for procedures that are billed globally, such as obstetrician (OB) visits or some surgeries?  Such procedures are billed to Medicaid at a global rate where one global rate might cover several visits.  Read the answer.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?  Make sure to visit the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website for the latest news and updates on the EHR Incentive Programs.

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Stay Informed via the CMS EHR Incentive Programs Listserv

CMS wants to invite you to join a free email service to receive the latest news on the EHR Incentive Programs.  The CMS EHR Incentive Program listserv provides timely information on program requirements and changes in the EHR Incentive Programs.

By subscribing to this listserv, you will receive early notification of new program developments, the availability of new resources, and the addition of any new Frequently Asked Questions that are published on the CMS EHR Incentive Programs website.  Join the listserv and visit the listserv section of the EHR Incentive Programs website to take a review some of the recent messages we have sent.  We encourage you to let others know about the CMS EHR Incentive Program listserv, and to share its messages.

Want more information about the EHR Incentive Programs?  Make sure to visit the EHR Incentive Programs website for complete information about the CMS Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

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Today’s CMS Open Door Forum was a good one. The slides (pdf here), although reviewed quickly during the call, are a comprehensive resource for anyone needing in-depth information on qualifying for incentives through PQRI. The information is complex, but anyone can start the process tomorrow and successfully get their check (next year.)

PQRI has been renamed PQRS.

These are the key points of the information presented:

1. You can tell if you are eligible for the incentive program by checking the main PQRS site here. Scroll down to Downloads and click on “List of Eligible Professionals.”
2. There is no registration required to report quality data.
3. PQRS should not be confused with incentives offered for ePrescribing or meaningful use of a certified Electronic Health Record – these are three distinct systems.
4. There are new Physician Quality Reporting Measure Specifications every year – use the correct year.
5. Reporting can be done as individual eligible providers or as groups, however groups needed to be self-nominated by January 31, 2011, so that door is closed for this year.
6. Eligible providers can choose to report for 12 months: January 1”“December 31, 2011 or for 6 months: July 1-December 31, 2011 (claims and registry-based reporting only.)
7. There are two reporting methods for submission of measures groups that involve a patient sample selection: 30-patient sample method and 50% patient sample method. An “intent G-code” must be submitted for either method to initiate intent to report measures groups via claims. If a patient selected for inclusion in the 30-patient sample did not receive all the quality actions and that patient returns at a subsequent encounter, QDC(s) may be added (where applicable) to the subsequent claim to indicate that the quality action was performed during the reporting period.
   Physician Quality Reporting analysis will consider all QDCs submitted across multiple claims for patients included in the 30-patient samples.
8. Eligible professionals who have contracted with Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans should not include their MA patients in claims-based reporting of measures groups using the 30 unique patient sample method. Only Medicare Part B FFS patients (primary and secondary coverage including Railroad Medicare) should be included in claims-based reporting of measures groups.
9. Choose which group measures OR individual measures (3 minimum) you want to report on based on your method of reporting. Review your choices here.
10. If you plan to report using a registry or EHR, make sure the systems are qualified by checking here.
    
11. Here is the schedule for PQRS incentives and “payment adjustments” (financial dings.)

• Incentives (based on the eligible professional’s or group’s estimated total Medicare Part B PFS allowed charges)
  • 2007 ”“1.5% subject to a cap
  • 2008 ”“1.5%
  • 2009, 2010  ”“2.0%
  • 2011 ”“1%
  • 2012, 2013, 2014 ”“0.5%
• Payment Adjustments (you lose money)
  • 2015 ”“98.5%
  • 2016 and subsequent years ”“98.0%

What follows are the Questions and Answers from the listeners.

Q: Do PQRS measures need to be reported once per encounter or once per episode?

A: It depends on the measure. Check the list to see what each measure requires.

Q: Is there a code to submit if we cannot qualify due to low numbers of Medicare patients?

A: No, CMS will calculate this and will know you cannot qualify and you will be exempt from the payment adjustment.

Q: Can both admitting physicians and consulting physicians submit the same quality codes?

A: Yes, all eligible providers working with a patient can report the same code if appropriate.

Q: How do we know if we qualified for the eRx incentive for 2010?

A: Payments will come early fall and feedback reports will be available that break down each provider’s incentive.

Q: For the eRx incentive, is it 10 eRxs before June 30, 2011 and 25 before January 31, 2011 for each PROVIDER or each PRACTICE?

A: Each provider.

Q: What is the difference between the numerator and the denominator in PQRS?

A: The numerator is the clinical quality action (for instance, putting a patient on a beta blocker) and the denominator is the group of patients for whom the quality action applies (which patients with appropriate diagnoses are eligible for beta blocker therapy.)

Q: Do all the preventive measures in this group have to be utilized?

A: Not all measures will apply to all patients, for instance mammograms for females only.

Q: Is there a code to be placed on the claim that says a measure is not applicable for this patient?

A: No.

Q: How do you know if a measure code on a claim has been accepted?

A: You will receive a rejection code on your EOB that indicates the code was submitted for information purposes only. Remittance Advice (RA) with denial code N365 is your indication that Physician Quality Reporting codes were passed into the National Claims History (NCH) file for use in calculating incentive eligibility.

Q: How can a new provider get started with quality reporting?

A: Any provider can start any time by reporting through claims, a registry or an EHR.

Q: Should providers bill for PQRI under their individual number or under their group number?

A: Under their individual number.

Q: Can a physician delegate the eRx process to a staff member, just as they might have a nurse write a prescription for them?

A: Yes.

Q: Can you clarify the three incentive programs and which a practice can participate in at the same time?

A: The Physician Quality Reporting System, eRx Incentive Program, and EHR Incentive Program are three distinctly separate CMS programs.

The Physician Quality Reporting System incentive can be received regardless of an eligible professional’s participation in the other programs.

There are three ways to participate in the EHR Incentive Program: through Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or Medicaid.

If participating in the EHR Incentive Program through the Medicaid option, eligible professionals are able to also receive the eRx incentive.

If participating in the Medicare or Medicare Advantage options for the EHR Incentive Program, eligible professionals can still report the eRx measure but are only eligible to receive one incentive payment. Eligible professionals successfully participating in both programs will receive the EHR incentive.

Eligible professionals should continue to report the eRx measure in 2011 even if their practice is also participating in the Medicare or Medicare Advantage EHR Incentive Program because claims data for the first six months of 2011 will be analyzed to determine if a 2012 eRx Payment Adjustment will apply to the eligible professional.

If an eligible professional successfully generates and reports electronically prescribing 25 times (at least 10 of which are in the first 6 months of 2011 and submitted via claims to CMS) for eRx measure denominator eligible services, (s)he would also be exempt from the 2013 eRx payment adjustment.

The transcript and a recording of today’s call will be posted on the CMS website within a few weeks.

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What is a NPI again?

The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification Standard. The NPI is a unique identification number for covered health care providers. Covered health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses must use the NPIs in the administrative and financial transactions adopted under HIPAA. The NPI is a 10-position, intelligence-free numeric identifier (10-digit number). This means that the numbers do not carry other information about healthcare providers, such as the state in which they live or their medical specialty. The NPI must be used in lieu of legacy provider identifiers in the HIPAA standards transactions.

As outlined in the Federal Regulation, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), covered providers must also share their NPI with other providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and any entity that may need it for billing purposes.

When should you get a new NPI?

The National Provider Identifier (NPI) is meant to be a lasting identifier, and is expected to remain unchanged even if a health care provider changes his or her name, address, provider taxonomy, or other information that was furnished as part of the original NPI application process. There are some situations, however, in which an NPI may change such as when health care provider organizations determine they may need a new NPI due to, for example, certain changes of ownership, the conditions of a purchase, or a new owner’s subpart strategies. There also may be situations where a new NPI is necessary because the current NPI was used for fraudulent purposes.

A health care provider (or the trustee/legal representative of a health care provider) should deactivate its NPI in certain situations, such as retirement or death of an individual, disbandment of an organization, or fraudulent use of the NPI. To deactivate an NPI, a health care provider (or the trustee/legal representative of a health care provider) must complete a CMS-10114 and mail it to the NPI Enumerator.

Does the NPI replace the tax ID number?

The billing provider’s tax ID number and NPI are always required on claims. Any other providers identified on the claim, such as rendering provider or service facility, must be identified with their NPI only. Their tax ID number should not be included.

For eligibility, claim status inquiry, referral and precertification, only the NPI (no tax ID number) is used.

How does a rendering physician report their National Provider Identifier (NPI) on a claim that includes Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) or Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program (eRx) quality-data codes (QDCs)? What if he/she is part of a group and the group NPI is used on the claim?

Your individual National Provider Identifier (NPI) must be included on the claim line items for the quality-data codes (QDCs) you submit as well as the line items for the services to which the QDC is applicable. The PQRI/eRx QDC must be included on the same claim that is submitted for payment at the time the claim is initially submitted in order to be included in PQRI analysis.

If a group NPI is used at the claim level, the individual rendering physician’s NPI must be placed on each line item, including all allowed-charge and quality-data line items. See the PQRI Implementation Guide for a sample CMS-1500 claim. This is available as a download from the Measures/Codes section of the CMS PQRI website. For eRx, see the Claims-Based Reporting Principles for eRx, available on the CMS eRx website.

If a health care provider with a National Provider Identifier (NPI) moves to a new location, must the health care provider notify the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) of its new address?

Yes.  A covered health care provider must notify the NPPES of the address change within 30 days of the effective date of the change. We encourage health care providers who have been assigned NPIs, but who are not covered entities, to do the same. A health care provider may submit the change to NPPES via the web or by paper. If paper is preferred, the health care provider may download the NPI Application/Update Form (CMS-10114) from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ forms page or may call the NPI Enumerator (1-800-465-3203) and request a form.

What happens when you join a group?

In Section 4B of the CMS-855I, the NPI of the Group should be entered if it has been issued to the Group. If you are joining a group, the group is responsible for providing you with their current Provider Identification Number (PIN) and the NPI, if they have been issued.

If you are a solo physician with an incorporated practice, how many NPIs should you have?

An individual is eligible for only one NPI. In the above example, there are two health care providers: the physician and the corporation. The physician would obtain an NPI (Entity Type Code 1, Individual). The corporation would obtain an NPI (Entity Type Code 2, Organization). Generally, the corporation’s NPI would represent the Billing and Pay-to Providers and the physician’s NPI would represent the Rendering, Referring/Ordering, Attending, Operating and/or Other Providers. These physicians should ensure that their enrollment records with the health plans to whom they will be sending claims are up to date, that those health plans are aware of the assigned NPIs, and that the NPIs are used in a way that is compatible with their enrollment.

I do not submit healthcare claims to Medicare; do I need a National Provider Identifier (NPI)?

Where can you look up NPIs?