2014 Meaningful Use Clinical Quality Measures Now Available
Sunday, October 28, 2012

 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the 2014 clinical quality measures (CQMs) for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs. The EHR Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to certain providers as they adopt, implement, upgrade, or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

Beginning in 2014, all providers will have new CQMs regardless of whether they are in Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the EHR Incentive Programs.  In 2014, eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must report on the approved CQMs as follows:

  • Eligible professionals must report on 9 of the 64 approved CQMs.  Medicare eligible professionals (EPs) include non-hospital based professionals: MD, DO, DDS, DMD, DPM, OD, and chiropractors. Medicaid EPs include non-hospital based professionals: physicians (primarily MD and DO), NP, CNM, dentists, and PAs who furnish services in a FQHC or RHC led by a PA.
  • Eligible hospitals and CAHs must report on 16 of the 29 approved CQMs.  Medicare eligible hospitals include FFS, CAH, and Medicare Advantage affiliated hospitals. Medicaid eligible hospitals include acute care hospitals (including CAHs and cancer hospitals) with at least 10% Medicaid patient volume and children’s hospitals. 

For all providers, the selected CQMs must cover at least three of the National Quality Strategy domains. 

The CQMs were released by CMS along with electronic specifications for reporting and access. Beginning in 2014, all Medicare eligible providers that are beyond their first year of demonstrating meaningful use must electronically report their CQMs to CMS.  Beginning in 2015, Medicare eligible professionals that do not successfully demonstrate meaningful use will be subject to a payment reduction of 1%, increasing each year to a maximum of 5%.

The CQM tip sheet for providers, guide to reading electronic CQMs, and core set tables are available through the CMS website.  The Implementation Guide to the 2014 CQMs is available here.

 

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