Get help from TMA and TMF to understand and navigate the PQRS system and get your reporting done.
Although the 2014 calendar year has ended, physicians still have time to comply with the reporting requirements for the 2014 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) program year. Depending on the reporting method used, submission deadlines vary from February through March 2015.
Deadlines for the 2014 PQRS Program Year
What's at Stake?
Failure to report for the 2014 PQRS program year will result in a 2-percent Medicare payment cut in 2016 under PQRS for all physicians, plus another 2-percent cut under the Value-Based Payment Modifier program for group practices with 10 or more eligible professionals. Refer to this graph to see how PQRS participation affects the value modifier (VM). In 2017, all physicians who participate in fee-for-service Medicare will be subject to PQRS and VM payment adjustments based on 2015 data.
How TMA Can Help
For an overview of the 2014 PQRS reporting requirements, visit the TMA website or register for TMA's 50-minute, on-demand 2014 PQRS webinar. TMA members get a discounted rate and continuing medical education credits.
Physicians who are unable to report through an EHR system, and didn't start the PQRS claims-based reporting process last year in time for successful reporting, should use an online registry. Registry reporting would take a few hours to complete in one sitting, but could be spread out in the few weeks left before the Feb. 26 deadline. It is open to all physicians and group practices of any size. Choose one of TMA's endorsed, cost-effective registries: PQRSwizard and Covisint PQRS and get a TMA-member discount.
Read more about the benefits of registry reporting in the November 2014 issue of Texas Medicine.
Get Free Technical Help With PQRS From TMF
TMF Health Quality Institute is under contract with Medicare to serve as the state's Quality Innovation Network Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO). Medicare authorizes and funds the TMF QIN-QIO to help physicians and others with their quality reporting to advance quality improvement efforts in programs such as meaningful use, PQRS, and VM at no cost.
The TMF QIN-QIO provides technical assistance to eligible physicians and physician groups, health care providers, inpatient/outpatient hospital departments, acute care and critical access hospitals, rural hospitals and clinics, inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPFs), ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), and prospective payment system-exempt cancer hospitals (PCHs).
Create a free website account and join the TMF QIN-QIO Value-Based Improvement and Outcomes Network to learn more about how you and members of your practice or hospital can benefit.
To avoid penalties and ensure you are prepared to make a successful submission for the 2014 PQRS program year, take part in one of the two, one-hour open forum events the TMF QIN-QIO is hosting online.
Ready, Set, Go! PQRS Submission for 2014 Open Forum
Monday, Feb. 2
Noon - 1 p.m. CT
Register here.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
1 - 2 p.m. CT
Register here.
For questions about TMF QIN-QIO services, contact one of their expert consultants:
More Information
For answers to PQRS and VM questions, contact the CMS QualityNet Help Desk, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm CT, by phone, (866) 288-8912, or email. You can also contact the TMA Knowledge Center by phone, (800) 880-7955, or email. For complete details, visit CMS' PQRS and VM websites.
Action - Feb. 2, 2015