CMS/Medicare: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Conference Call

Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 29, 2008, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time.

2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI)
National Provider Conference Call with Question & Answer Session

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Provider Communications Group will host the second in a series of national provider conference calls on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). This toll-free call will take place from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., EDT, on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.

The Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 (MMSEA) was enacted on December 29, 2007. MMSEA authorizes CMS to make PQRI incentive payments for satisfactorily reporting quality measures data in 2008.

MMSEA also provides professionals greater flexibility for participating in the 2008 PQRI by authorizing CMS to establish alternative reporting criteria and alternative reporting periods for the reporting of measures groups and for the submission of data on PQRI quality measures through clinical data registries.

In 2008, eligible professionals may earn an incentive payment of 1.5 percent of their total allowed charges for physician fee schedule covered professional services furnished during the respective alternative reporting periods based on data submitted via these mechanisms. While TRHCA established a cap on incentive payments for 2007, based on an average per measure payment amount, there is no cap on incentive payments under MMSEA for 2008 and 2009.

These provisions provide increased opportunities for eligible professionals to report PQRI quality measures and the possibility to earn incentive payments for satisfactory reporting. This call will provide an overview of these new flexibilities.

A PowerPoint slide presentation will be posted to the PQRI webpage at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/30_EducationalResources.asp, on the CMS website for you to download prior to the call so that you can follow along with the presenters, Dr. Michael Rapp, Dr. Daniel Green and Rachel Nelson. Following the presentation, callers will have an opportunity to ask questions of CMS subject matter experts.

NOTE: We are pleased to announce that CMS will be offering continuing education units (CEUs) for eligible participants; the agenda and details on how to register to obtain CEUs for this call is forthcoming.

Conference call details:

Date: April 30, 2008
Conference Title: 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative National Provider Call
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m. EDT

In order to receive the call-in information, you must register for the call. It is important to note that if you are planning to sit in with a group, only one person needs to register to receive the call-in data. This registration is solely to reserve a phone line, NOT to allow participation. If you cannot attend the call, replay information is available below.

Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. EDT on April 29, 2008, or when available space has been filled. No exceptions will be made, so please be sure to register prior to this time.

To register for the call participants need to go to:
http://www2.eventsvc.com/palmettogba/event/2f7d0cda539b41dfb0fa57ad119b2ba9

Fill in all required data.

Verify your time zone is displayed correctly the drop down box.

Click "Register".

You will be taken to the “Thank you for registering” page and will receive a confirmation email shortly thereafter. Note: Please print and save this page, in the event that your server blocks the confirmation emails. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please check your spam/junk mail filter as it may have been directed there.

For those of you who will be unable to attend, a replay option will be available shortly following the end of the call. This replay will be accessible from 3:30 p.m. EDT 4/30/2008 until 11:59 p.m. EDT 5/07/2008. The call in data for the replay is (800) 642-1687 and the passcode is 42860144.

If you require services for the hearing impaired please send an email to: Medicare.TTT@PalmettoGBA.com.