News: CMS calls for public comment on MIPS

The CMS is working with Yale New Haven Health Services Corporation/Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE) to develop a measure of acute cardiovascular-related admissions for patients with heart failure. The purpose of developing this measure is to assist in creating outcome measures for ambulatory care for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

Earlier this week, CMS sent out an email to subscribers inviting stakeholders and other interested members of the public to review and comment on the measure, noting the email served as the call for public comment.

“Specifically, CORE adapted for MIPS a measure of acute, unplanned hospital admissions for heart failure patients that CMS currently reports for Medicare Accountable Care Organizations,” CMS stated. “The re-specified measure for MIPS will assess each eligible clinician or clinician group’s acute cardiovascular-related admission rate relative to that of other MIPS participating clinicians or clinician groups with similar patients.”

The specifications and results of the MIPS heart failure measure are outlined in the measure’s methodology report, which is available in the ‘Downloads’ of the CMS public comment page.

The deadline for comments is 11:59 p.m. eastern on November 27, 2019. Comments must be submitted through email to MIPSoutcomemeasures@yale.edu and include organization name if applicable and contact information.

Editor’s note: To subscribe to CMS email updates, enter your information in the “Receive email Updates” section at the bottom of their website. Find the MIPS heart failure measure methodology report in the downloads section of the public comment page.