MIPS: Quality Bonus Points
By IPN
There are several opportunities for bonus points in the Quality category for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) submissions, which if earned, will be applied to your final category score. The points can be earned simultaneously and are worth up to six points for each bonus category.
The bonus points available include:
- Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) bonus
- High Priority bonus
- Improvement bonus
- Small practice bonus (for practices with 15 or fewer clinicians)
CEHRT bonus: This is only available to clinicians who submit the latest versions of electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs) and who are using a certified 2015 edition of your EHR no later than Dec. 31 of this year. The practice must submit the data using a QRDA Cat III file. Practices are urged to check with their vendors to ensure they are using this certified edition.
High Priority bonus: Bonus points will be awarded for additional high priority measures, over and above the one quality outcome measure you are required to submit. Each additional high priority measure can earn one bonus point each, while the additional outcome and patient experience measures can earn two bonus points each.
Improvement bonus: To receive any additional bonus points under improvement, you must meet the eligibility requirements of full participation in the Quality category for the current performance period and sufficient data submitted during the previous performance period. This bonus is based on improvement year over year, but the Quality Reporting Engagement Group does not recommend trying to get a lower score one year in order to achieve this bonus the next year. CMS calculates this bonus after submission is completed.
Small Practice bonus: This bonus automatically applies to practices with 15 or fewer clinicians and is worth up to 10 percent of available points (six points out of the 60 possible in the category). The bonus points will reweight to 4.5 toward the 45 points that the Quality category contributes to your overall MIPS composite score. In previous years, this was a bonus applied to the overall MIPS composite score but has been moved to the Quality category.
If you have questions about the bonus opportunities or any reporting of your MIPS data, contact sales@intrinsiq.com.
