KENTUCKY REGIONAL EXTENSION CENTER

QPP 2025 Public Webinar: Final Rule – Watch Now

QPP 2025 Public Webinar: Final Rule – Watch Now

QPP Year 9: 2025 Final Rule Overview
Available Now: Friday January 31, 2025

Key QPP Updates from the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

With the release of the 2025 Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program Final Rule in late 2024, CMS finalized programmatic changes impacting your practice in 2025 and future performance years.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
• MVP Continued Expansion:
addition of 6 new MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and consolidation of two existing neurological MVPs
• Cost: 6 new episode-based cost measures added to the Cost Performance category, further emphasizing value-based care
• Improvement Activities: Revamp of category weighting and requirements
• APP Track & MSSP: Required measure set expansion for MSSP participants via APP Plus
• Advanced APMs: QP status determination changes and finalized updates to QPP Lump Sum Bonus payouts

Register and view this on-demand analysis to stay in the know as we explore critical elements of MVPS, APP and Traditional MIPS tracks of the Quality Payment Program.

Contact YOUR experts at Kentucky REC with all your QPP, MIPS/MVP, and APM Track questions. We’re here to help: 859-323-3090.

 

The CMS 2025 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule overview, QPP, and MSSP Fact Sheets are available through the links below.

PFS Fact Sheet

MSSP Fact Sheet

QPP Fact Sheet: https://qpp-cm-prod-content.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/3057/2025-QPP-Policies-Final-Rule-Fact-Sheet.pdf

 

Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program – Data Submission Window Open

The Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) System is now open and accepting calendar year 2024 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program data submissions and attestations from eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals.

The data submission deadline for the CY 2024 requirements, including eCQM data, has been changed from February 28, 2025 to Friday, March 14, 2025.

As a reminder, hospitals are required to:

  • Report data using the ONC Health Information Technology certification criteria to meet the certified electronic health record technology (CEHRT) requirement. Get your ID # from the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL).
  • Successfully submit four calendar quarters of data for six eCQMs:
    • Three self-selected eCQMs from the CY 2024 Available eCQMs Table
    • Three CMS-selected eCQMs: Safe Use of Opioids-Concurrent Prescribing, Cesarean Birth (PC-02), and Severe Obstetric Complications (PC-07)
  • Submit web-based measure data for any continuous, self-selected 180-day EHR period within the calendar year.

Note: Failure to report at least a “1” for all required measures with a numerator or reporting a “No” for a Yes/No response measure will result in a total score of 0 points for the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program.

  • Earn a minimum total score of 60 points
  • Complete the following requirements by attesting “Yes” to both
    • Acting to Limit or Restrict the Compatibility or Interoperability of CEHRT
    • ONC Direct Review
  • Complete the following measures under the Protect Patient Health Information Objective by attesting “Yes” to both
    • SAFER Guides
    • Security Risk Analysis
  • Submit data for the following measures under each objective below:
    • Electronic Prescribing Objective
      • e-Prescribing
      • Query of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
    • Health Information Exchange Objective (Participants must select one of the three reporting options below)
      • Report on both the Support Electronic Referral Loops by Sending Health Information measure and the Support Electronic Referral Loops by Receiving and Reconciling Health Information OR Report on the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Bi-Directional Exchange OR Report on the Enabling Exchange Under the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA)
    • Provider to Patient Exchange Objective
      • Provide Patients Electronic Access to Their Health Information
    • Public Health and Clinical Data Exchange (A level of active engagement is required for each measure below)
      • Syndromic Surveillance Reporting
      • Immunization Registry Reporting
      • Electronic Case Reporting
      • Electronic Reportable Laboratory Result Reporting
      • Antimicrobial Use and Resistance (AUR) Surveillance
    • Voluntarily submit data for the following optional measures/requirements  (Select One):
      • Clinical Data Registry Reporting
      • Public Health Registry Reporting

Contact YOUR experts at KY***@uk*.edu“>Kentucky REC with all your QPP, MIPS/MVP, and APM Track questions. We’re here to help: 859-323-3090.

 

 

PILL Podcast: Transforming Healthcare – Primary Plus’s CHW Program

Transforming Healthcare – Primary Plus’s CHW Program

Join us for an enlightening discussion with Brooke Perkins, Director for Community Health Worker programs at Lewis County Primary Care Center, Inc, also known as Primary Plus.

Brooke provides an in-depth exploration of their innovative Community Health Worker (CHW) program, tracing its mission, evolution, and remarkable impact. Learn how they’ve navigated challenges, gained healthcare provider buy-in, and transformed patient care workflows. Through inspiring success stories and insights into community impact, Brooke sheds light on the vital role of CHW programs in enhancing overall well-being. Tune in for a fascinating glimpse into the world of healthcare innovation and community health initiatives!

Listen to our podcast on Buzzsprout, or Spotify and Apple Podcasts. All previous episodes are available.

If you need assistance with healthcare quality improvement, contact the Kentucky REC at 859-323-3090 or by email.

NCQA PCMH Annual Reporting Requirement Update: New Data Submission Attestation

NCQA PCMH Annual Reporting Requirement Update: New Data Submission Attestation

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has introduced a new requirement for the 2025 Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Annual Reporting process.

Organizations renewing their recognition in 2025 must now complete the “Annual Renewal (AR) Quality Improvement (QI) 05: Data Submission Attestation.” This step, accessible in Q-PASS under the AR QI 5 component, requires practices to attest that their submitted data is accurate and may be shared with stakeholders for performance rewards and incentives.

Annual Reporting Key Deadlines and Processes
• Who is impacted? All healthcare practices with NCQA PCMH or Specialty Practice (PCSP) recognition.
• When to act? Complete Annual Reporting 30 days before your recognition anniversary date via Q-PASS.
• What to expect? After submitting the attestation, NCQA may randomly select your practice for a virtual audit. Notification of an audit will be sent through Q-PASS and email.

Support for Your Annual Renewal and Audit

The Kentucky REC PCMH team has extensive experience supporting practices through Annual Renewal and audit processes. We are here to provide expert guidance, ensuring your compliance and peace of mind.

Interested in PCMH or PCSP Recognition?

If your organization isn’t yet recognized and you’d like to learn more, contact us at the email link below or 859-323-3090 for assistance. We’re happy to help you take the next step toward recognition. Let us help you navigate the process with confidence.
 

Watch Now! TEAM Model APM – for Acute Care Hospitals

TEAM Model APM – Transforming Episode Accountability Model for Acute Care Hospitals

Available Now: Friday Nov 15, 2024

On November 15th, your trusted REC experts released a webinar focusing on CMS’s recently announced new MANDATORY payment arrangement: Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM). This model is set to launch January 1st, 2026 for selected acute care hospitals in 188 core-based statistical areas (CBSAs).

Many Kentucky hospitals will be required to participate in this first phase, specifically hospitals located in:

Bowling Green
Corbin
Glasgow
Lexington-Fayette
Middlesboro

This model is a 5-year project beginning January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2030.

You will receive regulatory analysis of this new program and information on: episodes of care; timelines; financial up-side and down-side risk glidepaths; and other need-to-know elements set forth by CMS in this new model.

For further information:
CMS TEAM Model Hospital Registration (Primary Hospital Contact for FY26 Mandatory Participants).

For more information on the upcoming TEAM Model

To receive future CMS announcements, join the CMS Listserv.

REGISTER TODAY to be in-the-know on this very important topic impacting clinicians and Acute Care Hospitals across Kentucky and the nation.

For details and more information on TEAM from CMS, visit HERE.

Contact YOUR experts at Kentucky REC with all your QPP, MIPS/MVP, and APM Track questions. We’re here to help: 859-323-3090.