CMS has taken a series of steps to account for the COVID-19 pandemic in Merit-based Incentive Payment System reporting, Cardiovascular Business reports.
What you should know:
1. CMS isn't using data from the first six months of 2020 to calculate any of its quality metrics for this year, according to the American College of Cardiology's summary of the rule changes.
2. CMS is allowing clinicians who have been heavily affected by the pandemic to submit an Extreme & Uncontrollable Circumstances Application. If approved, CMS will reweigh MIPS performance categories for 2020.
3. To qualify for the adjustment, clinicians must be able to show how the pandemic affected their practice.
4. ACC reminded its members that participating COVID-19 clinical trials can earn MIPS-eligible clinicians 20 points. Forty points are needed to achieve the maximum score in the MIPS Improve Activities category.