CMS News Center

MIPS Annual Call for Measures & Activities

The annual call for measures and activities for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) will be open through June 30, according to officials with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). At this time, CMS is encouraging all clinicians, measure stewards, organizations, and other stakeholders to identify and submit measures and activities to be considered for three performance categories of MIPS in future years. Submissions can be made until June 30. The process allows for individuals to identify and submit quality measures for the “quality performance” category, electronic health record measures for the “advancing care information performance” category, and activities for the “improvement activities performance” categories for consideration. Any questions can be directed to the Quality Payment Program’s service center at QPP@cms.hhs.gov.

MIPS Survey Vendor Application Submission Period Now Open

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is now accepting Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) survey vendor applications through April 30. In the Quality Payment Program, the CAHPS for MIPS survey is an optional quality measure that groups participating in MIPS can elect to administer. It would count, in the “quality performance” category, as a patient-experience measure. Additionally, a MIPS-eligible clinician may also be awarded points under the “improvement activities performance” category for administering the survey. The CAHPS for MIPS survey may only be administered by CMS-approved survey vendors. Those interested in becoming a CMS-approved CAHPS for MIPS survey vendor must review the minimum business requirements and confirm that the respective organization meets these requirements, then submit a completed application for consideration. Applications will be processed as they are received, and a list of conditionally approved CAHPS for MIPS survey vendors will be publicly available. Conditionally approved vendors (vendors’ and subcontractors’ key staff) must participate in a webinar-based training and pass an assessment at the end of the training session to become CMS-approved CAHPS for MIPS survey vendors. For more information on the application process and to access the necessary documents, visit the CAHPS for MIPS survey page at www.cms.gov.

New Materials Released for Quality Payment Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently posted new resources on the Educational Resources webpage to help clinicians successfully participate in the first year of the Quality Payment Program (QPP), including:

• Alternative Payment Models (APMs): Includes a comprehensive list of all APMs operated by CMS, including advanced APMs and Merit-based Incentive Payment System APMs for the QPP.
• Support for Small Practices: Contains contact information for the local, experienced organizations that will help clinicians in small and rural practices participate in the QPP.

For more information, visit https://qpp.cms.gov/resources/education