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MIPS Measures Reference Guide

MIPS Quality Measures

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track of Medicare’s Quality Payment Program (QPP) includes four performance categories: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability (PI). The quality performance category requires clinicians to report on six measures, including at least one outcome measure. Since most family physicians will participate in MIPS and therefore are required to report quality measures, it is important they select measures appropriate for their practice needs and capabilities.

The MIPS Measures Reference Guide provides information to assist physicians in reviewing and selecting MIPS quality measures.  Here's how to use the guide after downloading it:

1. Open the Read Me tab of the guide--it gives important information about selecting, filtering, sorting, and interpreting the information contained in the MIPS Measures Reference Guide.
2. For complete information on MIPS quality reporting, refer to the  MIPS Playbook which is updated annually and offered free to AAFP members.

Measure Specifications

Measure specifications are detailed descriptions and instructions for each measure, and include definitions of the action/outcome required (numerator), population being measured (denominator), exceptions/exclusions to the measure, measure codes, and other details needed to correctly collect data and report the measure. The MIPS Measures Reference Guide provides links to measure specifications in the Read Me tab.

Measure Benchmarks

A benchmark is a point of reference against which measures may be compared or assessed. CMS has calculated an array of benchmarks for each quality measure, broken down into deciles. Points are assigned based on where your performance falls within the benchmarks. Benchmarks vary depending on method of reporting. Benchmarks can be found in the Resource Library on the QPP website.