As 2017 comes to a close, the deadline for providers to avoid a Medicare penalty in 2019 is approaching and the 2018 reporting periods are about to begin. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has designed the Quality Payment Program (QPP) with two tracks clinicians can take under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) - Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) or Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). As we mentioned at the beginning of this year, the well-known Meaningful Use program has been added as a part of MIPS. There are four components to MIPS: Quality, Improvement Activities, Advancing Care Information (ACI), and Cost. Meaningful Use is part of the ACI component. Providers have until March 31, 2018 to send in their data for 2017 which will increase, decrease, or keep their 2019 Medicare payments the same. The reporting period for 2018 starts January 1, 2018. CMS is taking a gradual approach to implementing the program so the requirements for each year differ.

2017 Requirements:

CMS offers “pick your pace” options in 2017. These include:

• Zero participation – receive a 4% penalty in 2019
• Test – submit a minimum of one quality measure, one improvement activity, or the four required ACI measures and avoid a negative payment adjustment.
• Partial participation – Submit at least 90 days of 2017 data for more than one quality measure, OR more than one improvement activity, OR more than the four required ACI measures and avoid a negative payment adjustment and possibly receive a positive payment adjustment.
• Full participation - Submit at least 90 days of data for all required quality measures, AND all required improvement activities, AND all four required ACI measures and earn a positive payment adjustment.
• Advanced Alternative Payment Model - receive 25% of Medicare payments or see 20% of Medicare patients through an Advanced APM in 2017, and earn a 5% incentive payment in 2019.

Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) Requirements:

• Use either 2014 or 2015 Edition CEHRT or a combination

2018 Requirements:

• Zero participation – penalty increases to 5% in 2020
• MIPS Participation Minimum Performance Periods

o   Quality – 12 months

o   Cost – 12 months

o   Improvement Activities – 90 days

o   Advancing Care Information – 90 days

• To meet the point threshold to avoid a negative payment adjustment, clinicians must:

o   Report all required Improvement Activities.

o  Meet the Advancing Care Information base score and submit 1 Quality measure that meets data completeness.

o  Meet the Advancing Care Information base score, by reporting the 5 base measures, and submit one medium-weighted Improvement Activity.

o   Submit 6 Quality measures that meet data completeness criteria.

CEHRT Requirements:

• Use either 2014 or 2015 Edition CEHRT or a combination
• Receive a 10% bonus if only use 2015 Edition CEHRT

There are only a couple days left in 2017 to make sure you have at least met the requirements for the “Test” option to avoid the penalty in 2019. It’s also important to note that 2018 requires 12 months of reporting for Quality and Cost measures meaning that reporting period is also starting in just a couple days. It’s vital to make sure you are using a product or combination of products that are certified. MDToolbox was one of the only stand-alone e-Prescribing vendors to certify on the 2015 edition CEHRT requirements earlier this year. We are certified for e-Prescribing and Patient Education and are able to integrate with many other products to meet all of the requirements. Contact us for more info on how we can help you meet the MIPS requirements.