Understanding registries
With the first reporting period for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System now underway, you’re probably already spent some time considering how you’ll report your quality data (and if you haven’t, now’s the time to start)! Most groups fulfilled their PQRS requirements in the past by submitting data through the routine Medicare claims process, however, that process has become more burdensome in recent years and can leave you with uncertainties over whether you’ve reported all the applicable data required.
What is a reporting registry?
The registries referred to in this article were created to assist physicians in reporting quality data to CMS as part of the old Physician Quality Reporting System. Instead of placing the entire reporting burden on an individual group or practice, registries allow groups to submit their data to a third-party vendor that can scrub the submission to ensure it’s as accurate as possible before being sent off to CMS. This process aims to provide users with feedback that can help them fix their reporting processes during a submission period as opposed to waiting more than a year and a half for CMS to provide feedback on your data.
Why use a registry?
- Working with a registry greatly reduces the burden on your billing and reporting staff.
- The registry staff can provide guidance with compiling necessary data.
- The registry can send in test submissions, which in turn allow them to minimize issues during the actual submission period.
What’s the cost?
Typically, around $300 per physician.
How are they approved by CMS?
In order for an entity to be considered a qualified registry, the registry must successfully complete the self-nomination process and follow requirements outlined by CMS each year. Individual physicians or group practices who wish to report via registry should review the 2017 Qualified Registries once it is released this spring to find a registry that best meets the practice’s needs, since the vendor may only support specific measures or reporting options.
(Click here to view the 2016 list of approved registries.)
Who is able to report through a qualified registry?
For the initial 2017 MIPS reporting year, both individuals and group practices can report through a qualified registry. Unlike past years, those wishing to report as a group will not need to complete the Group Practice Reporting Option registration in order to be recognized as a reporting group. Instead, those groups will now be able to self-nominate as a group through their registry. This is also the first year that groups will be prevented from submitting their quality data through the Medicare claims process.
Interested in learning more about successful quality reporting or overall revenue cycle management? Contact us today for a free consultation.