Included in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), Advancing Care Information replaces the Medicare EHR Incentive Program, a.k.a. Meaningful Use. Advancing Care Information makes up 25% of your 2017 Performance Score and focused on the secure exchange of health information and the use of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT).
According to Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Dr. Karen DeSalvo, National Coordinator, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, "Advancing Care Information is to support the vision of a simpler, more connected, less burdensome technology. Compared to the existing Medicare Meaningful Use program for physicians, the new approach increases flexibility, reduces burden, and improves patient outcomes."
To help your practice transition from Meaningful Use to MIPS, Healthcare Compliance Pros has extensively researched Advancing Care Information and put together this list of facts we think you should know about.
- Advancing Care Information is equivalent to the Medicare Electronic Health Records Incentive Program (Meaningful Use).
- In 2017, your base score includes 4 required objectives: Security Risk Analysis, E-Prescribing, Provide Patient Access, and Health Information Exchange (e.g. Send Summary of Care; Request/Accept Summary of Care).
- During the transition year, CMS will award a bonus score for improvement activities that utilize CEHRT and for reporting to public health or clinical data registries.
- In 2017. 2014 CEHRT or a combination of 2014 and 2015 CEHRT is permitted. In 2018, only 2015 CEHRT will be permitted. Therefore, it is important to verify if your EHR is or will be certified according to 2015 standards by or before 2018.
- There are two measure set options for reporting: Advancing Care Information Objectives and Measures and 2017 Advancing Care Information Transition Objectives and Measures. If your technology is certified to the 2014 Edition and not the 2015 edition, you should report on the 2017 Advancing Care Information Transition Objectives and Measures.
Although Clinicians can choose to report or report the required measures of the advancing care information performance category and avoid a negative MIPS payment adjustment, Healthcare Compliance MIPS Plus participants are encouraged to participate and achieve the exceptional performance threshold. Our MIPS Specialists are dedicated to help you and your practice success in the CMS Quality Payment Program. Learn more about our MIPS Plus services here.
Do you have MIPS questions? Contact us by email [email protected],or by phone 855-427-0427.