Today, otolaryngologist's are subject to multiple quality reporting initiatives that affect their bottom line. Through the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Meaningful Use Incentive Program, the Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program, and the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Incentive Program, physicians may be subject to a nearly 5 percent payment reduction in 2015 if they do not begin to participate in these programs.
*New* The Academy has published one page fact sheets, available in the April edition of the Bulletin, to provide information on how you can successfully participate in each of these initiatives, possibly earn incentive payments, and avoid payment reductions.
Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Fact Sheet
Physician Quality Reporting System Fact Sheet
Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program Fact Sheet
Click on the icons of the programs below to learn more about each program:
The Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Program is an initiative from CMS designed to facilitate the use of EHRs in clinical settings. Eligible professionals, hospitals, and critical access hospitals that demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs are eligible for incentive programs. For eligible professionals, incentive programs can accumulate up to $44,000 total by 2015 if they begin to successfully participate in 2012.
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The Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program is a reporting program that uses a combination of incentive payments and payment adjustments (penalties) to encourage electronic prescribing by eligible professionals. The program provides an incentive payment to practices with eligible professionals (identified on claims by their National Provider Identifier [NPI] and Tax Identification Number [TIN]) who successfully e-prescribe for covered Medicare Physician Fee Service Schedule (MPFS) services for Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries.
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The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), a Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative, provides incentive payments and payment adjustments to physicians and other eligible professionals who successfully report data on quality measures. PQRS begins adopting payment adjustments (penalties) in 2015; however, the penalties will be based on participation during the 2013 reporting period.
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