All clinicians who will be required to participate in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) will receive a letter by the end of this month informing them of their participation status, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced.
CMS says it is reviewing claims and letting practices know which clinicians need to take part in the MIPS, an important part of the new Quality Payment Program (QPP) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA.). In late April through May, practices will get a letter from their Medicare Administrative Contractor that processes Medicare Part B claims, providing the participation status of each MIPS clinician associated with that practice’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), CMS says.
According to CMS, clinicians will be required to participate in the MIPS 2017 transition year if they meet the following criteria:
Bill more than $30,000 in Medicare Part B allowed charges a year and
Provide care for more than 100 Part B-enrolled Medicare beneficiaries a year
“QPP intends to shift reimbursement from the volume of services provided toward a payment system that rewards clinicians for their overall work in delivering the best care for patients. It replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and streamlines the “Legacy Programs” - Physician Quality Reporting System, the Value-based Payment Modifier, and the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program,” CMS says.
The federal agency also stated that during this first year of the program, it is committed to working with practices and clinicians to streamline the process as much as possible. “Our goal is to further reduce burdensome requirements so that you can deliver the best possible care to patients,” CMS stated. Find more information about the Quality Payment Program here.
