Time Remains to Participate in PQRS and Qualify for a Bonus in 2012
In 2012, optometrists who participate in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) by successfully reporting a designated set of quality measures on Medicare claimsmay earn a 0.5% PQRS bonus paymentof total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services. Certain eligible optometrists who earn the PQRS bonus and do maintenance of certification (MOC) more frequently than required by the American Board of Optometry can earn an additional 0.5% PQRS + MOC bonus.
For 2012, optometrists must report at least three quality measures on 50% of their applicable Medicare patients to obtain a bonus. Given the 50% threshold, some optometrists may still be able to qualify for a PQRS bonus before the year’s end. Even if an optometrist cannot meet the 50% threshold, by participating in PQRS in 2012 physicians can gain valuable experience in quality reporting and be better prepared for participation in 2013.
To get started with PQRS quality reporting this year, review the AOA’s PQRS webinar that is available by visitingwww.aoa.org/PQRSand selecting “Webinars” from the right hand menu. The January 2012 Webinar titled “Making Sense of PQRS” provides the information needed to begin participating in PQRS. Additional resources and information that can be printed for easy reference are available at:www.aoa.org/PQRS.
Optometrists should also be aware that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act included a provision which requires health care providers who are not successfully participating in PQRS to be financially penalized in the future. The penalty will be equivalent to a 1.5% Medicare reimbursement reduction in 2015. The payment penalty will increase to 2% in 2016. Regulations are currently being finalized regarding the details of assessing this payment penalty.
By participating in PQRS now, optometrists can become familiar with the PQRS program and avoid any potential penalties that may be imposed in the coming years.
The AOA encourages optometrists to begin participating in PQRS today and the AOA stands ready to assist providers with program participation. Please direct any additional questions regarding PQRS toAskTheCodingExperts@aoa.org
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