Copy
View this email in your browser

QPP Roundup: February 2019


Providing monthly updates on PAI's activities and QPP news for you and your practice.

QPP Tip of the Month: Physicians Have Until March 31, 2019 to Submit 2018 MIPS Performance Data to Avoid a -5 Percent Payment Adjustment in 2020


Physicians may submit their 2018 MIPS performance data by using the CMS QPP submission portal through March 31 to avoid a negative payment adjustment in 2020. With the 2018 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting deadline fast approaching, you may be unsure of or need additional information on the steps needed to submit your 2018 MIPS participation data. PAI has gathered the most helpful CMS resources that provide you with step-by-step instructions on submitting your 2018 MIPS data: Additional resources on the QPP, MIPS, and Advanced APMs are also available on PAI’s MACRA QPP Resource Center. Please note that resources for the 2018 performance year are still available to help you with your 2018 MIPS submission. PAI will update and release materials for 2019 MIPS participation after the close of the submission deadline. A summary of the key changes for the 2019 QPP performance year is available.

PAI Comments on ONC Draft Strategy for Reducing Burdens Related to Health IT and EHRs


On January 28, PAI submitted comments in response to the Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC’s) Draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The comments focused on the need to address and alleviate physician burden associated with health IT, EHRs, and interoperability. Specifically, PAI made the following key recommendations:
  • Vendors should be accountable for ineffective exchange of information and their products and health care delivery systems should be accountable for delaying, withholding, or limiting data from being displayed, provided, or shared across platforms.
  • Physicians and patients have little influence on how quickly these exchanges are implemented and have minimal control on acceleration. Many vendors have delayed their updates and continue charging practices exorbitant fees for these updates, even when they are delayed or not completed.
  • Physicians are often unjustly penalized for relying on vendors and trusting that their vendors will become certified, maintain their certification, and appropriately submit their data to CMS on their behalf.
  • Continuous stakeholder engagement should remain a key focus, specifically with state medical societies who hear directly from physicians about the difficulties and burdens and can provide valuable insight into recommended updates and changes at the data collection, display, review and connectivity phases of medical record data usage.
  • There needs to be greater focus on bi-directional information exchange and increased standardization, both of which impact and can hinder patient care and efficiencies due to the lack of usability of the data.
  • A one-size-fits-all approach is not helpful for improving health IT usability. Different care settings, physician specialties, and patient characteristics and access needs should be considered to enhance the usability and user experience for EHRs.
Additionally, on February 11, CMS and the ONC released two proposed rules on interoperability, information blocking, and increasing patient access to their health information: PAI is currently reviewing and analyzing these proposed rules and will develop comments in response.

PAI Comments on Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care


On February 12, PAI submitted comments in response to HHS Office for Civil Rights' Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. In its comments, PAI supported HHS’ efforts to modernize HIPAA and adopt policies that promote removal of regulatory obstacles and reduce regulatory burdens to facilitate care coordination and promote value-based health care transformation. PAI proposed the following key priorities for consideration as HHS modifies the HIPAA Rules: 
  • Simplify the existing HIPAA Rules and provide greater education to reduce confusion, complexity, and encourage participation in care coordination models, with consideration and understanding of the costs and burdens for complying with the modified HIPAA Rules.
  • Modify the HIPAA Rules to encourage accurate, helpful, and timely exchange of protected health information and other patient information to patients, physicians, and other providers that affect care decisions and delivery of services.
  • Establish open standards for interoperable electronic transmission of clinical data developed with input from physicians and patients and allow for information exchange across state lines without triggering HIPAA.
  • Streamline standards across federal and state levels to ensure consistency in definitions (e.g., of mental and behavioral health) and disclosure policies (e.g., those for opioids and other substance abuse disorders).

CMS QPP Updates


CMS posted several new resources fact sheets to its QPP Resource Library: Additional resources on MIPS and Advanced APMs are available on PAI’s QPP Resource Center and the CMS QPP Resource Library.
© Copyright 2019 by Physicians Advocacy Institute

Forward this to a friend.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Physicians Advocacy Institute · 1825 Connecticut Ave. NW · Ste. 300 · Washington, District of Columbia 20009 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp