CMS outlines MIPS quality measure reporting requirements and scoring

Providers should brush up on their MIPS knowledge and review reporting as the first quarter of 2018 draws to a close. To assist providers required to report data under MIPS, CMS released a fact sheet on April 5 that discusses how providers can participate in the quality performance category in 2018. The quality performance category is worth 50% of providers’ final MIPS score for 2018, and providers who demonstrate improvement from their performance in the category in 2017 could earn bonus points this year.

Providers must choose six quality measures, including at least one outcome measure or another high-priority measure if none of the outcome measures are applicable, from the more than 270 currently available quality measures. The reporting period for 2018 is a full 12 months. Providers can submit measure data through a variety of mechanisms including qualified clinical data registry, certified EHR technology, claims, or the CMS web interface. CMS notes that as in 2017 it will not aggregate data submitted through several different mechanisms with the exception of Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems for MIPS reported by registered groups or virtual groups. The agency also notes that only eligible clinicians may submit data through claims, and claims for the 2018 performance period must be submitted by February 28, 2019.