Your MACRA Questions Answered

As a follow up to our recent webinar, Get an Up-to-the-Minute Update on MACRA, John Lynn and Kareo have answered the questions posed by participants. Here are answers to some of the most common questions that were asked.

Q: How do we sign up for MACRA?
A: The MACRA Quality Payment Program has two tracks: MIPS and Advanced APMs. You do not need to sign up for MIPS. You simply report your data during the reporting period. If you are in an Advanced APM you will report through that group. If you do not report at all, you will receive a -4% adjustment in 2019.

Q: Is Medicare Advantage included or does this just apply to Medicare?
A: This program only applies to Medicare Part B.

Q: How will we report our data for MIPS?
A: For the 2017 year, MIPS data will be reported via the same methods as the Meaningful Use and PQRS programs. These are claims, registry, QRDC, web interface and/or CMS EHR Incentive Payment Attestation Site. During this first year, providers will most likely need to report via two methods. For example, quality measures can be reported via all methods, except the Attestation Site. Advancing Care may be reported via web interface and the Attestation Web Site, while the Improvement Activities will most likely be reportable via registry and Attestation Site.

Q: Is the MACRA/MIPS reporting done the same way as Meaningful Use? And can it be done at the same time?
A: Yes, the reporting options are the same. You will not do the reporting at the same time because this program replaces Medicare Meaningful User beginning in 2017. Your last year for Medicare MU is 2016 and you will report for that by March 31, 2017.

Q: Is the exclusion for less than $30,000 in Medicare claims or 100 patients based on provider or group? For example, if we have three providers, is it for each providers or for all three?
A: It is by provider. So, you would look at each of the three providers and see if they each meet the exclusion. You may have a practice where some providers are eligible and others are not.

Q: How do you apply for an exclusion for MIPS?
A: This process has not been established yet. We believe the attestation website will be modified to allow a provider to indicate their exception.

Q: Is there somewhere we can print lists of the measures and their descriptions?
A: The CMS website qpp.cms.gov has a list of all the measures and their descriptions. You can review the descriptions and select the ones you want to look into and download a pdf of the list. It is important to discuss the measures with your EHR vendor to make sure that your EHR has the capability to capture the quality data. All quality data must be entered into a certified EHR.

For more MACRA resources, visit the Kareo MACRA Resource Center.