HSAG engages providers at all levels of performance for collaborative learning and action that accelerate healthcare quality improvement. Use the resources below to better understand and successfully implement the Quality Payment Program (QPP).
- Business Continuity Plan (fillable PDF)
- Telehealth Implementation & Workflow Tips During the COVID-19 Emergency (PDF)
- QPP COVID-19 Response
- 2021 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Exception Application Guide (PDF)
American Medical Association (AMA)
- COVID-19 Resource Center for Physicians with resources to help prepare your practice, address patient concerns, and answer your most pressing questions. Download and share this two-page brief, AMA’s Physician’s Guide to COVID-19, with your staff.
Other COVID-related Links
For additional COVID-related resources from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association for Profesionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), visit the HSAG COVID-19 webpage.
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Overview
- 2021 MIPS Overview (newly published)
- 2021 MIPS Eligibility Decision Tree
- Comparison of MIPS Year 4 (2020) and Year 5 (2021) Requirements (newly published)
- No-EHR MIPS Action Plan (newly published)
- 2021 Quality Payment Program Final Rule FAQs
Participation in MIPS
2021
- Anesthesiology and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
- Cardiology
- Chiropractic Medicine
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Family Medicine
- Gastroenterology
- General Surgery
- Infectious Disease
- Mental/Behavioral Health
- Nephrology
- Nurse Practitioners
- Nutrition and Dietician Professionals
- Ophthalmology
- Optometry
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pain Management
- Pathology
- Physical Medicine
- Physical and Occupational Therapy
- Podiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Rheumatology
- Skilled Nursing Facility
- Speech and Language Pathology
- Urology
- 2022 Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule
- 2022 Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule Overview Fact Sheet
- 2022 Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule Resources (ZIP)
- 2021 QPP Final Rule Comparison Table
- 2021 QPP Final Rule External FAQs
- 2021 QPP Final Rule Fact Sheet
- MVP Transition Timeline for Comment Solicitation
- Draft COVID-19 Vaccination Measure Specifications
HSAG encourages your use of the following resources to help guide your understanding of Promoting Interoperability (PI) (formerly known as ACI).
- 2021 MIPS Promoting Interoperability Guide (PDF)
- 2021 MIPS Data Validation Criteria (ZIP)
- 2021 MIPS Promoting Interoperability Hardship Exception Application Guide
- A Guide for 2021 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) & Your Electronic Health Record (EHR) System
- 2021 Promoting Interoperability Quick Start Guide
- 2021 Promoting Interoperability Measure Specifications (ZIP)
- Security Risk Assessment (SRA) Tool developed by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
- Provider EHR Complaint Process
HSAG has assembled helpful Improvement Activity (IA)-based resources and tools to assist you.
- 2021 MIPS Improvement Activities User Guide (PDF)
- 2021 MIPS Data Validation Criteria (ZIP)
- 2021 Improvement Activities Quick Start Guide
- 2021 Improvement Activities Inventory (ZIP)
- Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Training and Technical Assistance Center—Obtain PDMP-related information, including where to find your PDMP by state.
From time to time, resources are from CMS and are updated and posted regularly as new updates come online.
QPP and Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
- 2021 MIPS Quality and Cost Performance Categories Webinar (1:29:19)
- 2021 MIPS Improvement Activities and Promoting Interoperabiltiy Performance Categories Webinar (1:25:32)
- What is the Quality Payment Program? (2:30)
- 2021 Quality Payment Program Final Rule Overview—2021 (1:28)
APMs
- APM Performance Pathway (APP) Overview Webinar (43:08)
- What is a Qualifying APM Participant? (13:45)
Creating a HARP Account for QPP
(HARP = Healthcare Quality Information System [HCQIS] Access Roles and Profile)
HSAG has gathered relevant QPP materials and tools into one place. In addition, download a handy graphic icon for conversion into a desktop widget by following easy step-by-step instructions. To get started, review these essential tools for your state:
2020 QPP Performance Feedback
- Sign in to review your 2020 Performance Feedback
- 2020 MIPS Performance Feedback FAQs (PDF)
- 2022 MIPS Payment Year Payment Adjustment User Guide (PDF)
- 2020 Targeted Review User Guide (PDF)
MIPS Data Validation and Audit Resources
HSAG offers this resource to assist clinicians and practices in collecting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) QPP documentation, making it readily available if selected for an audit. The entity must retain all data submitted to CMS for purposes of the MIPS for six years from the end of the MIPS performance period.
Other Helpful Resources
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have assembled QPP-related resources at https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library.
Be sure to visit these CMS resources:
- 2021 Qualified Registries Qualified Posting (XLSX)
- 2021 Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) Measure Specifications (XLSX)
- Update the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES)
- Update Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Vendor
Alternative Payment Models (APMs)
- PY2021 APM Performance Pathway Toolkit (ZIP)
- APM Performance Pathway (APP) Decision Tree (PDF)
- 2020 and 2021 Comprehensive List of APMs (PDF)
- 2021 Qualifying APM Participant (QP) Quick Start Guide (PDF)
- 2021 APM Performance Pathway (APP) for MIPS APM Participants (PDF)
- 2021 APM Performance Pathway (APP) Infographic (PDF)
MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs)
CMS have finalized the MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), a participation framework that would begin with the 2022 performance period. Review the information below to learn more about the MVPs framework, and how it will help to improve the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and make the program more meaningful to clinicians and patients.
- MVPs Overview (YouTube)
- MVPs Diagrams (ZIP)
- MVPs Overview Fact Sheet (PDF)
