According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) that process Medicare Part B claims have begun informing providers of their participation status in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). This information is coming in the form of hard-copy letters that started mailing in late April and will continue to mail out through May 2017.
Regarding the participation threshold, the CMS notes, “Clinicians should participate in MIPS for the 2017 transition year if they 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.” Those who see Medicare patients but who do not meet both of these thresholds are exempt from participation in MIPS.
MIPS & the New QPP
MIPS is one of two pathways offered in the new Quality Payment Program (QPP). It replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate formula and streamlines the Physician Quality Reporting System, the Value-Based Payment Modifier and the Medicare Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program, consolidating these into one program along with clinical practice improvement activities. Learn more about the QPP.
Incentive to Join RISE
The QPP heavily incentivizes participation in a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for quality reporting. The ACR has its own QCDR, the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry, which is the only rheumatology-specific registry in existence. Find out more about RISE and how a QCDR can simplify your transition to MACRA and increase your probability of success under the new payment systems.
