02/28/2018

10 Things to Know and Do for MIPS Deadlines

As deadlines draw near for submitting data for the 2017 Merit-based Incentives Payment System (MIPS) performance period, CMS has created a Top Ten List of things to know and do before the March deadline, along with important dates to remember.

Key Dates:

•  March 16, 2018 - 8:00 pm ET – Last day for group reporting via the CMS web interface
• March 31, 2018 – Last day for all other MIPS reporting, including via qpp.cms.gov 
• April 1, 2018 – CMS will begin providing performance feedback
• January 2019 – Payment Adjustments applied

CMS Top Ten List:

1. Visit qpp.cms.gov and click on the “Sign-In” tab to use the data submission feature.
2. Check that your data are ready to submit. You can submit data for the Quality, Improvement Activities and Advancing Care Information performance categories.
3. Have your CMS Enterprise Identity Management (EIDM) credentials ready or get an EIDM account if you don’t have one.
4. Sign in to the Quality Payment Program data submission feature using your EIDM account.
5. Begin submitting your data early. This will give you time to familiarize yourself with the data submission feature and prepare your data.
6. The data submission feature will recognize you and connect your NPI to associated Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs).
7. Group practices:
   1. A practice can report as a group or individually for each eligible clinician in the practice. You can switch from group to individual reporting, or vice versa, at any time.
   2. The data submission feature will save all the data you enter for both individual eligible clinicians and a group, and CMS will use the data that results in a higher final score to calculate an individual MIPS-eligible clinician’s payment adjustment.
8. You can update your data up to the March 31 deadline. The data submission feature automatically updates as you enter data. You’ll see your initial scores by performance category, indicating that CMS has received your data. If your file doesn’t upload, you’ll get a message noting that issue.
9. You can submit data as often as you like. The data submission feature will help you identify any under-performing measures and any issues with your data.
10. For step-by-step instructions on how to submit MIPS data, check out this video and fact sheet.

If you’re unsure whether or not you need to report for MIPS, enter your National Provider Identifier (NPI) in the MIPS Lookup Tool. Additionally, if you know you’re in a MIPS APM or Advanced APM, you can use the APM Lookup Tool.

If you are in an ACO or other APM, be sure to work with your ACO or APM to make sure they have any patient information needed to report. You will need to report on Advancing Care Information measures on your own.

Questions about your participation status or MIPS data submission? Contact the Quality Payment Program Service Center at qpp@cms.hhs.gov or 866-288-8292.