Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: "PQRI: Save Time -- Home In on Cardiology Specific Measures" in Cardiology Coding Alert, vol. 12, no. 7, indicates that measure 7 is not active, but I still see it on the CMS site and my Medicare carrier told me the measure is still in effect. Can you please explain where the information on measure 7 not being active is?

North Carolina Subscriber

Answer: The cause of the confusion may be that for measure 7, the only reporting option is "registry." "Claims based" is not included as a reporting option for measure 7, and the article you reference focused on claims-based PQRI reporting.

The 2009 PQRI measures document available at www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/15_MeasuresCodes.asp lists reporting options for each measure.

The measure specifications manual and release notes available at the same site give the same "registration reporting only" instruction, too.

Registry reporting: Certain groups, such as the American College of Cardiology (www.improvingcardiaccare.org), have been approved by CMS to report quality information for specific measures on behalf of professionals. You can learn more about reporting options at www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/20_Reporting.asp.