Medicare Incentive Payment Programs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicair Services (CMS) has three four incentive payment programs from which physicians and other eligigble professionals can boost their payments. The Programs include the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Initiative, the E-Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program, the Physician Quality reporting System (PQRS), and the Value-Based Payment Modifier. More information about each program can be found below.

EHR Incentive Payments	eRx Incentive Payments	PQRS Incentive Payments	Value-Based Payments
The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible medical care providers as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.	The Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program is a reporting program that provides incentive payments and payment adjustments to encourage electronic prescribing by medical care providers.	The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a voluntary reporting program that provides an incentive payment to eligible individuals and practices who satisfactorily report data on quality measures for covered Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services furnished to Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries	Value-based payment models are focused on encouraging high value care delivery through greater integration, improved care coordination, and a focus on patient safety. These models are designed to foster a culture of accountability that rewards high quality and cost effective care.
How to Become a "Meaningful User" of Electronic Health Records Provides general information about the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program for "meaningul users" of health information technology. Read IDSA News articles from August 2010 and February 2011 for additional information about the meaningful use requirements CMS provided a list of 2012 qualified EHR Direct Vendors for PQRS reporting. Register and Attest to Become a "Meaningful User" of Health Information Technology. Click here to view a flow chart designed to assist providers in determining their eligibility for EHR Incentive Payments. Please contact the EHR Information Center Help Desk for Questions concerning registration, (888) 734-6433 TTY: (888) 734-6563. Read an IDSA News article from April 2011 for additional information about the attestation requirements.	ID-Specific eRx Incentive Program Resources Information for ID physicians on how to earn Medicare eRx incentive payments: eRx Incentive Program Website Comprehensive eRx Incentive Program information available through the CMS website.	Getting Started with PV-PQRS Reporting The Physician Value-Physician Quality Reporting System (PV-PQRS) Registration System is a new application to serve the Physician Value Modifier and PQRS programs. The PV-PQRS Registration System will be open from July 15, 2013 to October 15, 2013. Read the summary and learn how to register and start reporting. For additional information there will be a National Provider Call: Choosing Your PQRS Group Reporting Mechanism and Implications for the Value-based Payment Modifier Wednesday, July 31; 2:30-3:30pm ET Register at: www.eventsvc.com/blhtechnologies ID-Specific PQRS Resources Information for ID physicians on how to earn incentive payments through Medicare PQRS Incentive Payments. ID-Specific PQRS Measures Finder Tool Includes a list of PQRS measures that may be reportable by infectious diseases physicians. PQRS Website Comprehensive PQRS information available through the CMS website.	Over the next several years, Medicare is required by the Affordable Care Act to provide confidential feedback reports to physicians on their quality and cost of care. These feedback reports will lay the groundwork for implementation of a Value Based Payment Modifier that will pay physicians' differentially based on their performance beginning in 2015. It is likely that some of the information included in the confidential feedback reports will eventually be made publicly available through Medicare's Physician Compare Website. IDSA and other physician groups believe that the performance data underpinning the physician feedback reports and the Value-Based Payment Modifier must be based on clinically valid and risk-adjusted measures that attribute care to the appropriate physicians. The Society also has expressed concern that differential payments under the Value-Based Payment modifier will be implemented in 2015 concurrently with separate payment penalties under the Physician Quality Reporting System. IDSA Resources on Value-Based Payment models

EHR Incentive Payments

eRx Incentive Payments

PQRS Incentive Payments

Value-Based Payments

The Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs will provide incentive payments to eligible medical care providers as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology.

The Electronic Prescribing (eRx) Incentive Program is a reporting program that provides incentive payments and payment adjustments to encourage electronic prescribing by medical care providers.

The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is a voluntary reporting program that provides an incentive payment to eligible individuals and practices who satisfactorily report data on quality measures for covered Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) services furnished to Medicare Part B Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries

Value-based payment models are focused on encouraging high value care delivery through greater integration, improved care coordination, and a focus on patient safety. These models are designed to foster a culture of accountability that rewards high quality and cost effective care.

How to Become a "Meaningful User" of Electronic Health Records
Provides general information about the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program for "meaningul users" of health information technology.

Read IDSA News articles from August 2010 and February 2011 for additional information about the meaningful use requirements

CMS provided a list of 2012 qualified EHR Direct Vendors for PQRS reporting.

Click here to view a flow chart designed to assist providers in determining their eligibility for EHR Incentive Payments.

Please contact the EHR Information Center Help Desk for Questions concerning registration, (888) 734-6433 TTY: (888) 734-6563.

Read an IDSA News article from April 2011 for additional information about the attestation requirements.

ID-Specific eRx Incentive Program Resources
Information for ID physicians on how to earn Medicare eRx incentive payments:

eRx Incentive Program Website
Comprehensive eRx Incentive Program information available through the CMS website.

Getting Started with PV-PQRS Reporting
The Physician Value-Physician Quality Reporting System (PV-PQRS) Registration System is a new application to serve the Physician Value Modifier and PQRS programs. The PV-PQRS Registration System will be open from July 15, 2013 to October 15, 2013. Read the summary and learn how to register and start reporting.

For additional information there will be a National Provider Call: Choosing Your PQRS Group Reporting Mechanism and Implications for the Value-based Payment Modifier

Wednesday, July 31; 2:30-3:30pm ET

ID-Specific PQRS Resources
Information for ID physicians on how to earn incentive payments through Medicare PQRS Incentive Payments.

ID-Specific PQRS Measures Finder Tool
Includes a list of PQRS measures that may be reportable by infectious diseases physicians.

PQRS Website
Comprehensive PQRS information available through the CMS website.

Over the next several years, Medicare is required by the Affordable Care Act to provide confidential feedback reports to physicians on their quality and cost of care. These feedback reports will lay the groundwork for implementation of a Value Based Payment Modifier that will pay physicians' differentially based on their performance beginning in 2015. It is likely that some of the information included in the confidential feedback reports will eventually be made publicly available through Medicare's Physician Compare Website.

IDSA and other physician groups believe that the performance data underpinning the physician feedback reports and the Value-Based Payment Modifier must be based on clinically valid and risk-adjusted measures that attribute care to the appropriate physicians. The Society also has expressed concern that differential payments under the Value-Based Payment modifier will be implemented in 2015 concurrently with separate payment penalties under the Physician Quality Reporting System.

IDSA Resources on Value-Based Payment models

Medicare Incentive Payment Programs

Infectious Diseases Society of America