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Hello,
2009
PQRI coding and data collection worksheets available
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) works closely with the
American Medical Association (AMA) to support members that choose to
participate in Medicare's Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). As
the principal developer of many of the PQRI clinical measures, as well the
CPT Category II codes used in the program, the AMA created worksheets to
assist participants with data collection, coding and reporting of measures
and groups of measures. MGMA commends the AMA's work on these useful tools,
which you can access through the following links:
National
CMS provider call regarding the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) announced it
will host a national provider conference call on the 2009 Physician Quality
Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., EST, on Wednesday, January 14, 2009. Following a
short presentation on what’s new for the 2009 PQRI, the lines will be
opened to allow participants to ask questions of CMS PQRI subject matter
experts.
According
to CMS, registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EST on January 13, 2009, or
when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so
please be sure to register prior to this time.
Eligible
professionals who meet the criteria for satisfactory submission of quality measures
data for services furnished during the reporting period, January 1, 2009 -
December 31, 2009, will earn an incentive payment of 2.0 percent of their
total allowed charges for Physician Fee Schedule covered professional
services furnished during that same period. The 2009 PQRI consists of 153
quality measures and 7 measures groups.
For
those of you unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly
following the end of the call. According to CMS, this replay will be
accessible from 2:30 p.m. EST 1/14/2009 until 11:59 p.m. EST
1/21/2009. The call - in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 and
the passcode is 79451256.
CMS
posts clarification on lease of equipment and nonphysician personnel
Confusion
has surrounded a new Medicare regulation that took effect Jan. 1 requiring entities
providing mobile diagnostic testing services to enroll as independent
diagnostic testing facilities (IDTFs) and to bill Medicare directly for all
services provided to program beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services (CMS) included this rule in the 2009 Medicare physician
fee schedule. It contains an exception for services provided under
arrangement with a hospital.
In
promulgating this new regulation, CMS declined to define entities that
furnish mobile diagnostic services. In the preamble to the regulation, the
agency indicated the term would include entities that lease both diagnostic
testing equipment and technicians to physician offices, even when the
services are supervised by the billing physician.
In
response to questions and concerns raised by MGMA and others in the
provider community, CMS used the “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs)
section of its Web site to clarify the regulation. Replying to a question
from a company that leases equipment and personnel, CMS stated that companies
that lease or contract to provide diagnostic testing equipment,
nonphysician personnel or diagnostic testing equipment and nonphysician
personnel to a Medicare-enrolled provider or supplier are not required to
enroll as mobile IDTFs. CMS indicated, however, that it was concerned about
arrangements in which a Medicare-enrolled provider bills for a service when
a contracted entity provides the equipment and nonphysician personnel. CMS
will continue to evaluate these types of arrangements.
As
informal agency guidance, these FAQs do not have the same legal weight as
the text of the regulations, but they provide insight into CMS’
interpretation of its regulations.
Access to the FAQs.
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Jan. 7, 2009
- Access 2009 PQRI
coding and data collection worksheets
- National CMS provider call
regarding the 2009 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
- CMS posts clarification on
lease of equipment and nonphysician personnel
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