The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to remind eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals that the Annual Call for Measures for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program is still open. Submit a measure proposal by June 28, 2019.
Proposals submitted by the deadline will be considered for inclusion in future rulemaking.
CMS is interested in adding measures that:
- Build on the advanced use of certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) using 2015 Edition Certification Standards and Criteria;
- Promote interoperability and health information exchange;
- Improve program efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility;
- Provide patient access to their health information;
- Reduce clinician burden; and
- Align with MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category.
- Applicants should also consider the following when submitting their proposal:
- Health IT activities that may be attested to in lieu of traditional reporting;
- Potential new Opioid Use Disorder prevention and treatment related measures; and
Measurable outcomes demonstrating greater efficiency in costs or resource use that can be linked to the use of health IT-enabled processes.
Proposals must be sent to CMSPICallforMeasures@ketchum.com. Applicants will receive email confirmations of their submission.
Submission forms must be complete to be considered. Proposals that do not provide information for every field/section in the form will not be evaluated for consideration. Any information/field not applicable to the measure proposal must state “N/A” or “not applicable” or the proposal will not be considered.
On April 23, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and the Long-term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule.
Proposed changes to the Promoting Interoperability Programs include:
- Establishing an EHR reporting period of a minimum of any continuous 90-day period in calendar year (CY) 2021 for new and returning participants,
- Removing the Verify Opioid Treatment Agreement measure beginning in CY 2020,
- Changing the Query of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) measure in CY 2020 from required to optional, and
- Converting the Query of PDMP measure from a numerator/denominator response to a yes/no attestation beginning with the EHR reporting period in CY 2019.
Additionally, CMS will be soliciting feedback on these proposed changes in the coming days. Once the proposed rule has posted to the Federal Register, the formal comment period will open. The deadline for submitting comments on the proposed rule is June 24, 2019. CMS will provide further instructions on how to submit comments after the rule has been published.
For More Information
To learn more about these and other proposed changes, review the proposed rule and this fact sheet.
Author: CMS Communication