Consistent with national health care goals to expand electronic health record (EHR) system use and functionality, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging providers to begin reporting Physician’s Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures using the EHR option (as opposed to claims- or registry-based). Practices not reporting PQRS measures by 2015 may experience payment penalties.
The PQRS assistance program, a joint program offered by CMS and The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME) can help qualifying practices avoid these penalties. Through this program, CCME will provide free assistance in developing PQRS measures from EHR systems and support in the effective use of these measures for quality improvement. There are currently 28 EHRs “qualified” to report PQRS data using the EHR option. Users of a PQRS-certified EHR are an exclusive group of providers invited to join this program to receive free assistance with earning incentives under PQRS.
For more information about this program, visit: www.ccmemedicare.org/PQRS. For additional information and enrollment into this program, please contact CCME care improvement specialist, Maureen Schwarzer, BSN, RN, at [email protected] or 800-682-2650.
The material was prepared by The Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence (CCME), under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 10SOW-NC-C9-11-15