CMS Issues Proposed Rule for Year 2 of Medicare Quality Payment Program

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued the proposed rule for the second year of Medicare’s Quality Payment Program (QPP). It contains proposed policies for the 2018 reporting year of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. The QPP was established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). It currently applies to physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses who are reimbursed by Medicare Part B under the Physician Fee Schedule.

The QPP proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on June 30. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted through August 21. APA staff will be performing a comprehensive analysis of the proposal and crafting detailed comments, with input from APA components and members. Nothing is set in stone until the 2018 QPP final rule is issued later this year, by November 1. (Look for more information in a future issue of Psychiatric News.)

Several resources for APA members who wish to learn more about this proposal or the QPP in general can be found below:

• - Quality Reporting 101: A how-to guide for psychiatrists APA Developed and Presented Webinar

• - APA Payment Reform Toolkit Website

• - CMS Web Interface and CAHPS for MIPS Survey Registration Guide

• - MIPS: CMS Web Interface Fact Sheet

• - CAHPS for MIPS Survey via CMS-Approved Survey Vendor Reporting Fact Sheet