MACRA begins January 2017, and chances are, you’ve heard a lot about it – and the accompanying MIPS. But MIPS is complicated, and in order to fully understand it, you’ve got to break it down into sections. Here, we’ll look at the MIPS Clinical Practice Improvement Activities category and find out what to expect in 2017.
What Are Clinical Practice Improvement Activities?
The first step to understanding this category of MIPS is to understand what its name means. On the surface, it’s easy enough to decipher; these activities improve a clinic’s practice. But what activities are we talking about, and how will they be scored?
Clinical Practice Improvement Activities (CPIA) are initiatives meant to improve a practice and make the patient’s experience better. They can be categorized in the following ways:
- Expanded practice access
- Population management
- Care coordination
- Beneficiary engagement
- Patient safety
According to MACRA’s Appendix H, there are 90 activities that qualify for this category.
How Will CPIAs Be Scored?
In order to receive a 100% score, clinicians will need to report either on three high-weighted activities or six medium-weighted activities. However, there’s a difference again when it comes to non-patient-facing physicians: they’ll only have to report on two activities (either high- or medium-weighted) in order to get a score of 100%. Once again, being categorized as “non-patient-facing” will benefit anesthesiologists.
Other things to consider are that maintaining your Certification Part IV will qualify as credit for CPIA, as will the use of a QCDR, which is included in many of the approved activities. There’s also a possibility for qualification for participating in the Perioperative Surgical Home simulation or High Reliability Organization initiatives.
Contact MBM for Your Billing and Coding Needs!
MACRA is coming whether we like it or not, but here at MBM, we can help your practice stay focused caring for patients. Don’t get bogged down by paperwork, coding, claims, and regulations. Let us handle it for you. Contact us today!
