HAP Radiology Billing and Coding Blog

Radiology Practices Struggle to Avoid Penalties in the Medicare Quality Payment Program on August 31, 2023

For many radiology practices, the idea of a positive payment adjustment for participation in the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP) has been lost. Several factors have combined over the past few years to change the goal for radiology practices – it is now ‘penalty avoidance’ rather than a reward for reporting quality metrics. As we outlined in our recent review of the Medicare 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule, the QPP requirements for successful participation are going to become even stricter.

Categories: MIPS, Quality Payment Program, MIPS participation, radiology, QPP, quality measures

CMS Has Released The 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule on November 16, 2021

Coming a bit earlier in the month than usual, the release of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule for 2022 contains few changes from the rule proposed earlier this year. The Proposed Rule reported a 2022 Conversion Factor (CF) of $33.5848 per Relative Value Unit (RVU), but the Final Rule adjusts the figure slightly upward to $33.5983. This is a reduction of 3.71% from the 2021 CF of $34.8931. In addition to this cut, practices will see an additional 2% payment reduction when sequestration resumes on January 1, 2022.

Categories: cms, MPFS, Quality Payment Program, radiology, quality measures, Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

Get Feedback on Your 2019 Quality Payment Program Performance on September 22, 2020

Quality Payment Program (QPP) participants can now obtain information about whether their practice will receive a positive, negative, or neutral Medicare fee schedule adjustment in 2021 based on the 2019 data they submitted. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that clinicians who participated in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2019 can access their performance feedback by logging in to the Quality Payment Program website

Categories: radiology reimbursement, physician reimbursement, cms, Quality Payment Program, QPP, quality measures

Quality Payment Program Modified Due to COVID-19 Outbreak on March 24, 2020

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they have adjusted certain aspects of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in response the Public Health Emergency (PHE) caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.  CMS has extended the deadline for reporting 2019 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data and has relaxed the criteria for avoiding a penalty in 2021 based on submission of 2019 data.

Categories: cms, MIPS, Quality Payment Program, MIPS participation, QPP

Quality Payment Program Update for 2020 on March 2, 2020

Participation in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) means that you always have several years’ information in play at one time.  The score you earned from submitting 2018 data will now be impacting your Medicare reimbursement in 2020; you have just completed your 2019 performance and it’s time to submit your data; and finally, you now have to begin your 2020 performance year.

Categories: cms, MIPS, Quality Payment Program, MIPS participation, QPP, quality measures

Get Feedback on Your 2018 Quality Payment Program Performance on August 23, 2019

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that clinicians who participated in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2018 can access their 2018 performance feedback by logging in to the Quality Payment Program website.   The information should confirm whether you or your practice will receive a positive, negative, or neutral Medicare fee schedule adjustment in 2020 based on the 2018 results.  According to a posting on the CMS website, 98% of eligible clinicians participated in MIPS for 2018, up from 95% in 2017, and 97% will receive a positive payment adjustment by virtue of exceeding the 15-point performance threshold. 

Categories: cms, MIPS, Quality Payment Program, MIPS participation, QPP

First Look at the New Medicare Rules for 2020 on August 13, 2019

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released their annual proposal for changes to the Medicare payment system for the coming year, and they also released new information about the existing mandate for the use of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) beginning in 2020.  The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Proposed Rule contains not only proposed adjustments to Medicare reimbursement but also proposed changes to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for 2020 and beyond.

Categories: medicare, medicare reimbursement, MPFS, Quality Payment Program, radiology, QPP

Update on MIPS Reporting and Payment Adjustments for Radiology on March 25, 2019

The year 2019 marks the third reporting period under the Medicare Incentive-based Payment System (MIPS).  Radiology groups’ performance this year will determine their positive or negative Medicare fee schedule adjustment for payments in 2021, just as this year’s Medicare payment adjustment was determined by performance in 2017.

Categories: cms, MIPS, Quality Payment Program, MIPS participation, QPP

Review of The Medicare Quality Payment Program for 2019 on November 19, 2018

With the publication of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule for 2019, which includes the Quality Payment Program (QPP) Final Rule, we can now review how radiologists can prepare to maximize their 2021 Medicare reimbursement through QPP participation in 2019.  The QPP includes both the Medicare Incentive-based Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) tracks.  Since most radiology groups are currently participating in MIPS, we will focus on steps to take for successful participation in this program.

Categories: MPFS, MIPS, Quality Payment Program, radiology, QPP, APM

What the MPFS Proposed Rule for 2019 Means for Radiologists on August 6, 2018

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has combined its rule making for both the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP) into one document for its 2019 proposal.  This article will summarize the elements of each area that will most affect radiology practices if they are ultimately finalized and become law later this year. 

Categories: medicare, medicare reimbursement, MPFS, Quality Payment Program, radiology, QPP

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