As a result of the pandemic, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has invoked its Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances policy (click the link to download the PDF) and is allowing participants in the Merit Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) to request re-weighting of one or more of the program’s performance categories. The 4 MIPS performance categories are:
- Quality
- Cost
- Promoting interoperability
- Improvement activities
For example, you can request a hardship exemption in both the cost and promoting interoperability categories, and only be held accountable for the improvement activity and quality categories. The US Wound Registry (USWR) can help you report both of those categories in ways that are relevant to wound and hyperbaric medicine practitioners.
It is even possible to be entirely exempted from MIPS if you qualify under the Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances policy. However, you need to make sure that you submit the application correctly.
The USWR can help with your submission to CMS for various exemptions. Contact the USWR to talk to a real-live person about a MIPS exemption: email [email protected] or call (281) 771-3627.
Additional Materials:
Visit the USWR to find out how the registry can help you with practice improvement activities (like improved arterial screening among patients with lower extremity wounds), and wound care relevant quality measures (like diabetic foot ulcer off-loading).
Learn about MIPS and the USWR from my previous posts:
- Cassandra on MIPS Year Two
- Reporting Wound Care Relevant Quality Measures to CMS as Part of MIPS
- Did You Know You Could Fail MIPS Quality Reporting Because Your EHR’s Specs are Out of Date?
- Even Practitioners Exempt from MIPS Should Consider Reporting – Why?
Learn more about the flexibility for clinicians participating in MIPS from this interview posted by the American Medical Association (AMA):
Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos
