The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now testing potential new measures for future use in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Cost category. Field testing of these measures began August 17 and will continue through September 18.
The College of American Pathologists reports that, to date, most pathologists have not been attributed to any Cost category measures and have had their Cost category automatically reweighted to the Quality category. The CAP will monitor the results of CMS test and further engage with the CMS regarding any concerns with potential Cost measures on behalf of its members.
The CMS is using a contractor, Acumen, LLC, to conduct its field test for the following five episode-based cost measures before further consideration of their potential use in the Cost performance category.
- Asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Colon and Rectal Resection
- Diabetes
- Melanoma Resection
- Sepsis
You can provide feedback on the draft measure specifications through an online survey, which opened at the start of field testing. A document containing specific questions about the measures for stakeholders to reference while reviewing the materials will be available on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Feedback Page.
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In the announcement, ABPath recognized that the pathology training curriculum has significantly expanded to include such areas as molecular pathology, informatics, and laboratory management, and therefore reducing the numerical requirement is a reasonable adjustment. The ABPath also recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the number of autopsy cases in some training programs and this adjustment will help those programs.