Clinicians who are eligible to participate in Medicare’s Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) now can sneak a peek at – and confirm the accuracy of – their final scores for the 2021 performance period.
Citing participant feedback calling for increased communication and transparency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently launched a final score preview tool. Typically, participants must wait until August to receive their final scores, which determine their payment adjustment during the 2023 payment period.
Physicians, health care professionals, and other authorized staff can access their final MIPS scores by signing into the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website.
The preview is available to participants of both traditional MIPS and the Alternative Payment Model Performance Pathway. It does not include payment adjustment information or patient-level reports, which will be made available next month, according to CMS.
The federal agency also cautions it could change final scores between now and August if it identifies any program issues requiring systemwide scoring changes.
MIPS participants who believe their final score is based on erroneous data can contact the QPP Service Center throughout the preview period at (866) 288-8292, Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 7 pm CT, or by email at QPP@cms.hhs.gov.
Once CMS releases final scores and payment adjustments in August, participating clinicians will have 60 days to request a review of their payment adjustment calculation.
Texas Medical Association experts say the preview could be useful to physicians and practices that are preparing their 2023 budgets or planning to file for exemptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CMS previously announced it would reweigh the MIPS cost performance category from 20% to 0% for all clinicians, groups, and virtual groups for the 2021 performance period, citing the ongoing public health emergency. As a result, all such participants will avoid a payment penalty in 2023.
Emma Freer
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1383