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 154, Falls: Risk Assessment).

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 154, 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 #154 Description

Percentage of patients aged 65 years and older with a history of falls that had a risk assessment for falls completed within 12 months

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 is appropriate for use in all non-acute settings (with the exception of emergency departments and acute care hospitals). 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.

Eligible Criteria for Measure 154:

All patients aged 65 years and older who have a history of falls (history of falls is defined as 2 or more falls in the past year or any fall with injury in the past year). Documentation of patient reported history of falls is sufficient

Patients aged ≥ 65 years on date of encounter

Patient encounter during the performance period (CPT or HCPCS): 92540, 92541, 92542, 92548, 97161, 97162, 97163, 97164, 97165, 97166, 97167, 97168, 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99211, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 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

Patient screened for future fall risk; documentation of two or more falls in the past year or any fall with injury in the past year: 1100F

Hospice services for patient provided any time during the measurement period: G9718

Falls risk assessment documented (3288F)

Documentation of medical reason(s) for not completing a risk assessment for falls (i.e., patient is not ambulatory, bed ridden, immobile, confined to chair, wheelchair bound, dependent on helper pushing wheelchair, independent in wheelchair or minimal help in wheelchair (3288F with 1P)