Chair, Legislative and Public Policy Council
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it is conducting a “2018 Burdens Associated with Reporting Quality Measures Study,” which allows eligible ACG members to receive credit towards fulfilling the Merit-based Improvement Payment Systems’ (MIPS) Improvement Activities performance category. According to the announcement, CMS is conducting this study to:
- Examine clinical workflows and data collection methods using different submission systems;
- Understand the challenges clinicians face when collecting and reporting quality data; and
- Make future recommendations for changes that will attempt to eliminate clinician burdens, improve quality data collection and reporting, and enhance clinical care.
MIPS-eligible ACG members and groups who successfully participate in the study will receive full credit for the 2018 MIPS Improvement Activities performance category. Applications for this study will be accepted through April 30, 2018, and will be notified in the spring of 2018 if selected.
As ACG has previously alerted members, the College is a partner of CMS’ initiative to reduce physician-burden called “Patients over Paperwork.” ACG continues to advocate to policymakers on your behalf to reduce the administrative hassle associated with practicing medicine.
To Apply
Click here to begin your application.
Applicants will be notified by email of their status in spring of 2018.
Eligible Applicants
MIPS-eligible clinicians participating in MIPS as an individual, or as a part of a group. Clinicians do not need any outside knowledge of MIPS to participate in the study. A limited number of clinicians who are ineligible for MIPS in 2018 will also be included in the study.
To check your participation status, please see the QPP Website.
Study Requirements
The study runs from April 2018 to March 2019. For participants reporting as a group, your entire group will receive credit. Study participants will have to meet the following requirements in order to complete the study and receive full credit:
- Complete a 2017 MIPS participation survey in April/May 2018.
- Complete a 2018 MIPS planning survey September/October 2018.
- Join a virtual 90-minute focus group between November 2018 and February 2019.
- Meet minimum requirements for the MIPS’ Quality performance category by submitting data for at least three measures in the MIPS’ Quality performance category, as required for 2018 MIPS participation.
The submitted data must:
- Include one outcome measure.
- Submit data to CMS by the final MIPS reporting deadline (March 31, 2019); and
- Submit data through any method accepted under MIPS for year 2 of the Quality Payment Program (2018).
Membership Guidance on MACRA
ACG members are encouraged to review ACG’s “Making $ense of MACRA” series. The material is designed to simplify and distill all aspects of this complicated payment system into guidance that is easy to follow and understand.
Whitfield L. Knapple, MD, FACG
Chair, ACG Legislative and Public Policy Council