Health Information Compliance Alert

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) put out a call to clinicians, researchers, and health organizations interested in submitting their ideas for new measures for the upcoming payment years of the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, formerly called Meaningful Use, and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS) electronic component, Advancing Care Information (ACI).

For MIPS: Under MACRA's Quality Payment Program (QPP), ACI replaced Meaningful Use for Part B providers as the reporting system for EHR measures and accounts for 25 points of the total 100 of the MIPS composite score, which determines Medicare Part B reimbursement. CMS began accepting measures' suggestions on Feb. 1 and will continue to consider submissions through June 29, 2018 for the payment year of 2020.

It's important to note that CMS will "only review EHR measures that utilize the 2015 [CEHRT] Edition, which builds upon health information exchange and interoperability," the agency said in a factsheet on the submissions process. According to guidance on the process, measures that support interoperability, cost reduction, patient safety, and are different than existing options will have a better chance of adoption.

For hospitals: Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) continue to report EHR data through the Medicare EHR Incentive Program instead of ACI. Submissions have already begun and will continue through June 29, 2018 as well. However, unlike the ACI measures request, "proposals submitted by the deadline will be considered for inclusion in rulemaking in CY 2019," CMS's online resource on the subject noted. "Measure implementation is required beginning in CY 2021 but optional in CY 2020."

Resources: To read the MLN Connects from Feb. 8, 2018, which offers a link to the ACI submission factsheet and form, visit www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/FFSProvPartProg/Provider-Partnership-Email-Archive-Items/2018-02-08-eNews.html?DLPage=1&DLEntries=10&DLSort=0&DLSortDir=descending.

To suggest measures for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program (Meaningful Use), visit www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentive­Programs/Downloads/CallForMeasuresForm.pdf.