Oct. 2 represents key 2017 MIPS deadline for some physicians

If you or your practice plans to participate fully or partially in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in 2017, and you plan to report 90 consecutive days of data for the year, then Monday, Oct. 2, is the last day you can begin.

As a reminder, MIPS in one of two tracks in the Quality Payment Program (QPP), and you have three options to report this year:

• Submit data for a full year
• Submit data for a consecutive 90-day period
• Submit a minimum amount of data (less than 90 days)

If you are planning to submit 90 days or more of your quality data via your claims, you need to begin adding the applicable quality data codes to your claims no later than Oct. 2. This will help you avoid a negative payment adjustment on future Medicare payments and may make you eligible for a positive payment adjustment. If you are planning to submit only a minimum amount of data (less than 90 days), you can begin data collection as late as Dec. 31 and still avoid the negative payment adjustment.

Remember, data collection is different than data submission. You can submit your 2017 MIPS performance data between Jan. 2 and Mar. 31, 2018, when the QPP Portal is available. If you are eligible to participate but choose not to submit data, your Medicare Part B payments will be reduced 4 percent, beginning Jan. 1, 2019.

You can use the MIPS Look-up Tool on the QPP website to see if you should participate in MIPS. If you do, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has resources available in its Resource Library, including A Quick Start Guide to Participating in MIPS. The AAFP also has information and resources on its website.

Physicians can get free technical assistance through CMS, especially those in small, underserved, and rural practices. Please contact the Quality Payment Program at QPP@cms.hhs.gov or 1-866-288-8292 (TTY: 1-877-715-6222) with questions.

– Kent Moore, Senior Strategist for Physician Payment for the American Academy of Family Physicians