MIPS Submission Update
December 22, 2017
Written by Sharon Phelps
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently gave a preview of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) submission portal to the various contractors who are providing technical support for the Quality Payment Program. We were pleased to see the work that has been done to create a completely new approach to data submission for the 3 MIPS categories of Quality, Advancing Care Information (ACI) and Improvement Activities. Attention has been given to creating a single place to enter data for all the categories and to make the website user-friendly, intuitive and, most of all, to give you IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK on your score!
We’ll start with the most important questions:
Where do I access the QPP Submission Portal?
The QPP submission portal will be access from the qpp.cms.gov webpage. A new “Sign In” button is located on the header bar to the right of the MIPS, APMs and About buttons. You can TEST your log-in credentials now but cannot enter data until the portal goes LIVE.
When does the portal go LIVE?
The QPP Submission portal will open on January 2, 2018 and will close after March 31, 2018. The CMS Web Interface portal opens January 22, 2018 and closes March 16, 2018 at 8:00 PMET.
Do I need to sign up for a new account to access the portal?
If you currently have an EIDM account with a security or staff user role for the Physician Quality/Physician Value module, you will be able to use the same user ID and password to access the QPP submission portal.
If you do not have an EIDM account, you can visit the CMS Enterprise Portal to create one. This could be the most time-consuming part of the process, but the good news is you can start to work on this right now! Here is a link to a helpful document on getting an EIDM account – start on page four for a complete walk-through for obtaining an account:
Note – they are in the process of updating the EIDM screens so the screens may look slightly different.
Here is some additional info about the portal:
What if I am entering data for more than one TIN?
The portal will show you all TINs for which you have a valid role. You can enter data for all TINs listed.
How do I tell the system if I am entering data as a group or an individual?
Before you enter any data for the TIN, you will select whether you are entering data at the individual or group level.
If I submit data at the individual level, how will I know which Eligible Clinicians are connected to my TIN?
The portal will list all the Eligible Clinicians connected with your TIN. You can select the clinicians one by one to enter the appropriate data for Individual reporting.
What if I have submitted data from more than one method for a category?
The portal will show you the data submitted by all methods you have used. If you have used more than one method, it will show you the score from all methods and it will automatically select the method which gives you the highest score.
Do I have to manually enter all the data or can I upload some?
Data can be uploaded for all three categories using the QRDA-3 file format produced by your EHR software. Please check with your EHR vendor to learn how to download the QRDA-3 report from your system as well as learn if this report will contain data for all 3 categories or just a single category.
Once you’ve uploaded the QRDA-3 report, the system will automatically check the file format for errors. If there are no errors, it will calculate your Quality score from the results within the document.
You can manually enter data for the Advancing Care Information and Improvement Activity categories.
Will I be able to see the data uploaded by a Qualified Registry (QR) or a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR)?
Once your QR or QCDR has uploaded your results, you will be able to view them in the portal. You cannot change the data that was uploaded, but you will be able to see your score and how it was derived for each measure.
Do I have to enter all of my data at once?
No, you can come and go in the portal. The system will calculate your score based on the data you have entered. You can edit data you manually entered any time before the submission period closes.
How will I know if I have successfully submitted my data?
The QPP submission portal calculates your score from the data you have entered so you will know immediately if your data is uploading or calculating correctly. The scores are clearly displayed in the portal.
What if I’ve entered data incorrectly?
You can revisit the portal multiple times to edit your data (based on submission method) if you entered incorrect data. The QPP submission portal will scan any uploaded documents for file format errors as well as content. You will receive a message if the file format is not correct so you can work with your software vendor to get the format corrected. Once the file format is correct, the portal will instantly calculate your score from the data submitted.
Can I enter more than six Quality Measures?
Yes, you can. The system will take the six measures which give you the highest score and will allow you to see the score for all measures you have submitted.
What happens if I score more points in the Quality Category than I have in the denominator?
The system will show your total score but you can only receive 100% of allowable points in any category towards the final score.
How will I know my score if I submit results for a Quality Measure which does not have a benchmark?
For measures without a benchmark, you will get three points. When submission period closes, if enough data has been submitted to calculate a benchmark, your score will be updated to the proper decile. Final feedback reports will give full calculations used.
How do I enter bonus points?
The portal will do all the calculations for the bonus points. The Quality and ACI category will show the scoring of each measure/criteria so you can easily see exactly how your score is calculated.
I’ve been submitting my quality measures via Claims. What do I need to do in the portal?
You can use the portal to submit your Advancing Care Information and/or your Improvement Activity. While it may not be LIVE initially, CMS plans to show your quality scores from Claims submission before the submission period ends so you may want to check to portal to see your score.
Under the Advancing Care Information Category, how do I know which option to choose?
There is a search box which will allow you to query your version of the EHR to determine which option you should select.
Will the system show if I have special statuses?
This capability is not yet built into the portal but the CMS team is working to get it available before the end of the submission period so it will show your score based on your special status(es).
What happens if I experience Internet issues when uploading data?
The portal automatically saves the data as you enter it so if you experience an interruption, your data will be saved. You should be able to resume where you left off when you log back into the portal.
What if I have questions?
There are helpful documents and informative helps located throughout the website. You can contact your local Technical Assistance provider (that’s us!) or the Quality Payment Program Service Center with questions.
We look forward to assisting you with submission of your data for the 2017 MIPS program.
Please contact the QPP experts at Mountain-Pacific at qualitypaymenthelp@mpqhf.org if you have questions on the Quality Payment Program or MIPS.
Other Resource Links
CMS QPP Website
HTS MIPS Services
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