Reminder: 2020 MIPS Annual Call for Measures and Activities Closes in Two Weeks

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds you to submit measures and activities for consideration for future years of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The MIPS Annual Call for Measures and Activities process allows clinicians, professional associations, and medical societies that represent clinicians, researchers, consumer groups, and others to identify and submit measures and activities. We are accepting submissions for:

Measures for the Quality performance category until June 30
Measures for the Promoting Interoperability performance category until July 1
Activities for the Improvement Activities performance category until July 1

What We’re Looking For

For Quality: CMS is looking for specific measures that help measure or quantify healthcare processes, outcomes, and patient perceptions that go with being able to give high-quality healthcare. Domains of focus for consideration and selection include effective clinical care, patient safety, communication and care coordination, person and caregiver-centered experience and outcomes, community and population health, and efficiency and cost reduction. Quality measures must also link to existing and related cost measures and improvement activities, as applicable and feasible.

For Promoting Interoperability: CMS is looking for specific measures that build on the advanced use of certified EHR technology (CEHRT) using 2015 Edition Certification Standards and Criteria; promote interoperability and health information exchange; improve program efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility; provide patients access to their health information; reduce clinician burden; and align with MIPS Improvement Activities and Quality performance categories.

For Improvement Activities: MIPS Improvement Activities considered for selection should meet one or more acceptance criteria for new or modified activities: See the 2020 Call for Measures and Activities Toolkit (zip) for a complete list of acceptance criteria. It is important to note that CMS is looking for activities that exceed guidelines of clinical care or quality improvement. For example, this could be an activity that promotes the application of a guideline or standard practice to an underserved population; or expands the comprehensiveness of data recorded or exchanged between clinicians and patients beyond a standard form of communication. Furthermore, CMS will not accept duplicative concepts to existing or retired activities.

It is important to note that the decisions on last year’s (2019) improvement activities nominations may not be publicly known until after the 2020 Call for Improvement Activities has closed. Therefore, if you were considering submitting a new nomination based on the outcome of a submission made last year, we recommend that you submit your nomination prior to the close of the Call.

How to Submit Measures and Activities

If you’re interested in proposing new measures and activities for MIPS, review the fact sheets in the 2020 Call for Measures and Activities Toolkit (zip) and fill out and submit the forms from the toolkit by June 30, 2020 for the Call for Quality Measures and July 1, 2020 for the Call for Promoting Interoperability Measures and Improvement Activities.

Questions?

Contact the Quality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 or by e-mail at: QPP@cms.hhs.gov. To receive assistance more quickly, please consider calling during non-peak hours—before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:00 p.m. ET.