atom Alliance is offering a new podcast series, “PQRS Is A Four Letter Word,” which covers Medicare Quality Reporting programs like the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Meaningful Use and the Value-Based Payment Modifier.

The podcasts are available at the atom Alliance On-Demand Learning Center in addition to other recorded webinars on a variety of quality improvement initiatives and clinical topics.

In 2015, the PQRS program began to apply a negative adjustment to individual providers and group practices who did not report satisfactorily for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (these are based on services that began in 2013). Those that report successfully in 2016 will avoid negative payment adjustments in 2018.

The podcasts are hosted by atom Alliance Quality Improvement Advisors Don Gettinger and Margie Banse who have been providing technical assistance on these topics for many years. They share practical tips about how to comply with reporting requirements.

“PQRS gives participating providers and group practices the opportunity to assess the quality of care they provide to their patients, helping to ensure their patients get the right care at the right time,” explained Banse. “So, by reporting these PQRS measures, individual providers and group practices can also quantify how often they are meeting their particular quality metrics.”

The first podcast in the series is focused on PQRS Eligibility. The hosts share answers to common questions including:

• Exactly what is an “Eligible Professional”?
• Who can I contact to verify my eligibility?
• What if I bill through a Critical Access Hospital?
• What if a physician joins a practice in the middle of the year?
• Am I still eligible to participate if I’m a part of an Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) or patient-centered medical home?

The second podcast covers the ‘Q’ in “PQRS” – Quality Measure Selection. The hosts provide background on (1) why you would select specific measures and (2) measure selection requirements. Future podcasts will be “Reporting Methods for PQRS” and “How to Implement System Changes So That You Can Measure Performance.”

Need help submitting data through the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS)? Trouble understanding the value-based modifier program? Want to know more about the quality and cost measure information contained in the confidential quality and resource use reports (QRURs)? atom Alliance is eager to support you. Learn more here.