What is MIPS or PQRS Measure?

The Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) was a reporting program of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). It gave eligible professionals (EPs) the opportunity to assess the quality of care they were providing to their patients, helping to ensure that patients get the right care at the right time. Now it is called as Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Quality Measures. Today we will learn about coding Measures (Measure 047, Advance Care Plan).

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) track of Medicare’s Quality Payment Program (QPP) includes four performance categories: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability (PI). The quality performance category requires clinicians to report on six measures, including at least one outcome measure. Since most family physicians will participate in MIPS and therefore are required to report quality measures, it is important they select measures appropriate for their practice needs and capabilities.

Measure specifications are detailed descriptions and instructions for each measure, and include definitions of the action/outcome required (numerator), population being measured (denominator), exceptions/exclusions to the measure, measure codes, and other details needed to correctly collect data and report the measure. Their are different Measures like Measure 047, 014, 021, 145, 146, 225 etc, which has to be coded only to specific CPT codes. We will learn specifically for each measure in detail. 

Remember: These Measures should be used only with Medicare Payer Encounters.

MIPS/PQRS Measure #047 Description

Percentage of patients aged 65 years and older who have an advance care plan or surrogate decision maker documented in the medical record or documentation in the medical record that an advance care plan was discussed but the patient did not wish or was not able to name a surrogate decision maker or provide an advance care plan

This measure is to be submitted a minimum of once per performance period for patients seen during the performance period. There is no diagnosis associated with this measure. This measure may be submitted by Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who perform the quality actions described in the measure based on the services provided and the measure-specific denominator coding.

NOTE: This measure is appropriate for use in all healthcare settings (e.g., inpatient, nursing home, ambulatory) except the emergency department. For each of these settings, there should be documentation in the medical record(s) that advance care planning was discussed or documented.

Eligible Criteria for Measure 047:

All patients aged 65 years and older

CPT codes covered: 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99218, 99219, 99220, 99221, 99222, 99223, 99231, 99232, 99233, 99234, 99235, 99236, 99291, 99304, 99305, 99306, 99307, 99308, 99309, 99310, 99324, 99325, 99326, 99327, 99328, 99334, 99335, 99336, 99337, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, G0402, G0438, G0439

Hospice services received by patient any time during the measurement period: G9692

If patient’s cultural and/or spiritual beliefs preclude a discussion of advance care planning, submit 1124F

Advance Care Planning discussed and documented; advance care plan or surrogate decision maker documented in the medical record (report code 1123F)

Advance Care Planning discussed and documented in the medical record; patient did not wish or was not able to name a surrogate decision maker or provide an advance care plan (report code 1124F)