Field Testing of Medicare Episode-Based Cost Measures
CMS is currently field testing a number of episode-based cost measures that could be used to determine Medicare physician payment adjustments (both penalties and bonuses) under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) of the Quality Payment Program. During the field test, clinicians who are attributed patients under one of these episodes may access confidential feedback reports with information about their performance on these new measures. Mock reports and supplemental documents describing the methodology used to develop and calculate these measures are also now available for the general public to review.
As a service to you as a member of the CV section, we want to draw your attention to the fact that there is a proposed cost measure for costs related to episodes of Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction. We wanted to alert you to this opportunity and encourage you to access the reports and provide feedback.
On the CMS MACRA website under “Episode-Based Cost Measures:” you can find for your perusal:
- A fact sheet with additional background on the project, instructions on how to access the confidential feedback reports, and instructions on how to submit comments to CMS.
- A FAQ document.
- A mock report available to the general public for feedback.
- A zip file that includes supporting documentation for the Intracranial Hemorrhage/Cerebral Infarction cost measure under consideration.
As part of this field testing, CMS recently distributed more specific confidential feedback reports to any physician and/or group with a 10-episode case minimum on this cost measure. These reports should have been sent directly to you. If you have received one of these reports, we would like to hear from you so as to help coordinate a response of the AANS/CNS CV Section and the Washington Committee.
For questions, contact Rachel Groman, AANS/CNS Washington Office, at [email protected] or 202-729-9979 ext. 104.