When evaluating strategy for MIPS reporting under the new regulations, you may be concerned about the new penalties and incentives. You may look for a more sustainable way of doing it. There is a plethora of methods available ranging from MIPS registries to HER submission and therefore, it can be really tasking to get to know the benefits and drawbacks of each one of them.
Access to specialty measures
When you have specialists beyond the bounds of primary care, you may decide to look at the list of registries and QCDRs to help with the MIPS reporting. The registry provides a broad range of measure as compared to the other avenues. Eligible clinical data registries can offer measures well beyond the scope of those in the MIPS measure set. These additional measures are called QCDR measures. When all your staff are primary care doctors, it is simpler to use EHR for the reporting since no specialty features are needed and the ones needed are available in the HER system.
Visibility of data
On the new system, as you input data, you will realize the core is also cumulatively being calculated. This live dashboard for seeing the results is one of the advantages of using registry and QCDR reporting methods. This not only allows you to keep progress records but also allows you to set targets and watch yourself reach them and not come up short at the end of the year. This can be a reason for you to switch from a claims-based reporting method. It is easy to switch from a claims-based method to registry and QCDR because the data can be used as it is with no modifications.
Performance improvement opportunities
Since you can track your progress in registry and QCDR reporting, you have the opportunity to improve on your weak areas. Reimbursement is also easier with this avenue. They also offer great fidelity and flexibility to collect all the necessary information for submission. This happens because:
- EHR measures can only pull from certain EHR fields and cannot be augmented with additional information.
- Claims-based measure results must be recorded on the claim when submitted to CMS and cannot be updated after the fact if data was forgotten
- Web interface measures are reported using a sampling methodology, meaning that your group will get a list of patients and you must report on a certain number of them.
Important regulations
It is important to note that the reporting entities are all eligible clinicians. They can report the data as individuals or as a group. The differentiating factor will be their TIN or NPI. Some methods of submission such as claims method are only available to individuals while CAHPS for MIPS is only allowed for groups. The reporting period is the full calendar year commencing January 1st and ending on December 31st. The number of measures is not limited; however, there is need to consistently report at least six quality measures for a minimum of 90 days. Special consideration shall be given to those with specialty methods who shall be judged on the basis of the available measures.