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CMS extends meaningful use EHR attestation deadline to March 20

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the deadline for physicians to attest to meaningful use for the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program 2014 reporting year. While the original deadline was February 28, physicians now have until 11:59 p.m., EST, on March 20, 2015, to attest.  CMS extended the deadline to allow providers extra time to submit their meaningful use data, but urges providers to begin attesting for 2014 as soon as they can. This extension also allows eligible professionals, who have not already used their ...

Physicians have until Feb. 28 to review 2013 PQRS payments and penalties

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced last week that physicians who believe they received an incorrect Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) payment penalty can now use the new Look Up tool to verify information without calling the CMS Help Desk. The PQRS Look Up tool uses the same information that the CMS Help Desk accesses to verify whether a physician is subject to the 2015 PQRS payment adjustment, or if he or she should have received a 2013 PQRS incentive. To utilize the tool, physicians need to ...

PQRS GPRO registration extended until October 3

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services has extended the Physician Quality Reporting System Group Purchasing Reporting Option (GPRO) registration deadline until October 3, 2014, 11:59 PM EDT because of a glitch in the registration system. The deadline was originally supposed to be today, September 30, 2014. The PQRS registration system can be accessed a https://portal.cms.gov/. Group practices can register to participate in the PQRS Group Practice Reporting Option in 2014 via Qualified PQRS Registry, EHR or web interface (for groups with 25 or more eligible professionals only). In order to ...

CMA responds to CMS 2015 Medicare fee schedule proposals

The California Medical Association (CMA) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) commenting on the proposed rules that would impact many aspects of physician payment and federal regulatory programs for 2015. The 39-page letter strongly opposes the agency's plan to accelerate the implementation of the value-based modifier (VBM) payment methodology. CMS has said it will expand the VBM to all physicians in 2017 and increase the potential penalty from 2 percent to 4 percent. CMA also argued that because the agency is ignoring the law that ...

PQRS administrative claims-based reporting deadline is October 15

Physicians who do not successfully participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) this year will be subject to PQRS payment penalties starting in 2015.   PQRS is a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality reporting program that uses a combination of incentive payments and payment adjustments to promote reporting of quality information by eligible professionals.   Physicians who do not report on at least one individual measure in 2013 or elect to participate in the administrative claims reporting option will receive a 1.5 percent payment penalty in 2015. The penalty ...

CMA publishes Medicare quality reporting guide

The Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a reporting program that uses a combination of incentive payments and payment reductions to promote reporting of quality information by eligible professionals. Up until now, this program has been voluntary and physicians have received bonuses for participating. That's about to change. Failure to participate now means physicians could face significant penalties in 2015 and beyond. Find out more in CMA's new guide, "Getting Started with the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System." The guide is avaialble to members only. Contact: CMA's reimbursement help line, (888) ...