CMS Provides MIPS Reporting Relief and Extension
March 2020 ~
CMS is issuing an extension to the 2019 data submission deadline through April 30, 2020. Specifically, the agency is granting exceptions from reporting requirements and extensions for clinicians and providers participating in Medicare quality reporting programs with respect to upcoming measure reporting and data submission for those programs.
According to the announcement, the agency is implementing policy exceptions and extensions for upcoming measure reporting and data submission deadlines for the following CMS programs:
PROVIDER PROGRAMS
- Quality Payment Program – Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
- Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)
– The deadline is extended from March 31, 2020, to April 30, 2020. CMS states it is evaluating options for providing relief around participation and data submission for 2020.
HOSPITAL PROGRAMS
- Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program
- CrownWeb National ESRD Patient Registry and Quality Measure Reporting System
- End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program
- Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program
- Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program
- Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program
- Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program
- Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program
- Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program
- PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program
- Promoting Interoperability Program for Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals
– CMS will not count data from January 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020 (Q1-Q2) for performance or payment programs. Data does not need to be submitted to CMS for this time period. *For the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program and the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, if data from January 1, 2020 – March 31, 2020 (Q1) is submitted, it will be used for scoring in the program (where appropriate)
POST-ACUTE CARE (PAC) PROGRAMS
- Home Health Quality Reporting Program
- Hospice Quality Reporting Program
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Quality Reporting Program
- Long Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program
- Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program
- Skilled Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing Program
– Data from January 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020 (Q1-Q2) does not need to be submitted to CMS for purposes of complying with quality reporting program requirements. *Home Health and Hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey data from January 1, 2020, through September 30, 2020 (Q1-Q3) does not need to be submitted to CMS. *For the Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Value-Based Purchasing Program, qualifying claims will be excluded from the claims-based SNF 30-Day All-Cause Readmission Measure (SNFRM; NQF #2510) calculation for Q1-Q2.
For those programs with data submission deadlines in April and May 2020, submission of those data will be optional, based on the facility’s choice to report. In addition, no data reflecting services provided January 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020, will be used in CMS’s calculations for the Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs. According to the agency, this is being done to reduce the data collection and reporting burden on providers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For complete details on these changes, refer to the CMS Press Release.
Source(s): CMS Press Release; FierceHealthcare; EHR Intelligence;
