APMA News - January 2013 - (Page 44)

IT Consultant By James R. Christina, DPM PQRS, e-Prescribing, and Meaningful Use in 2013 As we head into 2013, there are changes forthcoming for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), e-prescribing (eRx), and meaningful use. I will briefly review some of the coming changes for each of these programs. Meaningful Use Although 2012 was the last year to start meaningful use of a certified electronic health record (EHR) program for your patients and be eligible to receive the full $44,000 in incentive payments over five years, you can still begin meaningful use in 2013 and be eligible to receive $39,000 in incentive payments over four years. (You lose the last year of incentive payments and only get $15,000 for the first-year incentive payment.) The list below illustrates how 2013 breaks down with regard to meaningful use. If you started reporting meaningful use in either 2011 or 2012, you remain at reporting for Stage One and report for the entire year. That means you will attest for 2013 sometime during the first two months of 2014. If 2013 represents your first year attesting to meaningful use, you simply have to attest to meaningful use after you have successfully met all the objectives for 90 consecutive days during 2013. For 2014, everyone will report for a 90-day period but will have to use an EHR program that has met the 2014 certification requirements. The year in which you started attesting to meaningful use will determine whether you must meet Stage One or Stage Two requirements. n PQRS 0.5 percent incentive payment for 2013. Must participate in 2013 to avoid 1.5 percent payment reduction in 2015. PQRS For 2013, for the majority of podiatrists who report using the individual claims method, very little will change. You still report on at least three individual quality measures and report them on at least 50 percent of eligible patients for each measure. Measures 126, 127, and 163 remain in the program for 2013, so if you have successfully reported these three measures dealing with the diabetic foot in previous years, nothing changes. The incentive payment for 2013 is 0.5 percent of all Medicare Part B payments, and there remains an additional 0.5-percent incentive payment for participation in a Maintenance of Certification program. Both the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and American Board of Podiatric Medicine have these programs, so if you are a diplomate of either board, be sure to contact the board for information about participation. The added twist for 2013 is that starting in 2015, you will get a 1.5-percent payment adjustment (penalty) for not participating in PQRS. Participation will be judged on your activity in 2013. However, in the final rule, it is surprisingly simple. You simply have to report one quality measure. If you are submitting to try to qualify for the incentive payment, even if you do not reach the 50-percent threshold, you will be exempt from the payment reduction. It appears that you simply must submit one quality measure on one patient to avoid the penalty, but I would recommend submitting on multiple patients to be sure you are exempt. • • • • • eRx There are no significant changes in the eRx incentive program. If you did not successfully fulfill the requirements to be exempt from the payment adjustment or successfully submit for an exclusion, you will receive a 1.5-percent payment reduction on all of your Part B Medicare payments for 2013. While 2013 is the last year to receive a 0.5-percent payment incentive for successfully participating in the eRx program, you cannot get the incentive if you are qualifying for and receiving the meaningful use incentive payment. You can, however, get the PQRS and eRx payments in the same year. You will need 25 unique eRx submissions for the entire year to receive the incentive payment, and you will need to submit 10 e-prescriptions in the first six months of 2013 to avoid the payment adjustment in 2014 (a 2-percent reduction). Also, if you achieved the eRx incentive payment in 2012, you are exempt from the reduction in 2014. 44 APMA News January 2013 n eRx 0.5 percent incentive payment in 2013. 1.5 percent payment reduction if you did not meet requirements previously or were granted an exemption. Must meet requirements to avoid 2 percent payment reduction in 2014. n Meaningful Use If already participating in incentive program by attesting previously, continue in Stage One and report for entire year. Can attest for the first time in 2013—only have to be successful for 90 consecutive days, but incentive is reduced to $15,000, and you only get incentive payments for four years instead of five, so total eligible amount is $39,000 over four years. n • • Contact Dr. Christina at jrchristina@apma.org.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of APMA News - January 2013

APMA News - January 2013
President’s Message
Contents
Dr. Wenstrup Goes to Washington
A Son’s Tribute to His Father, a 9/11 Hero
Podiatrists Golf for a Good Cause, Raise More than $500,000
CAC-PIAC Attendees Learn How Relationships Can Literally Pay Off
Creating the Future: A 2012 Retrospective on Advocacy by State Components
Profile in Progress: MPMA Gets It Done
Editorial: Understanding the Needs of the Current Generation of Learners
Find Out What’s New and Exciting for The National in 2013
Next Young Physicians’ Institute Slated for April
2012 Podiatric Practice Survey: Years in Practice and Board Certification Qualification by Primary Practice Arrangement Type
Annual Scientific Meeting Registration Form
Federal Advocacy Forum
APMAPAC Chair Report
IT Consultant
Website Wisdom
Small Business 101
CPME Update
In Short
Worthy of Note
Affiliates Corner
List of Affiliated Organizations
Insurance Advisor
Seeking Award Nominations
New Members
Death Notices
APMAPAC Update
Resolutions Deadlines
Annual Meeting Sponsors
Development Update
Classified Advertising
Dates to Remember
Advertising Index
10 Questions
Your APMA

APMA News - January 2013