The 2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act was established to provide a physician quality reporting system and include incentive payments for the physicians who meet the requirements furnished to Medicare   beneficiaries during the second half of 2007.  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) named this program the Physician Quality Reporting Incentive (PQRI).

The 2009 PQRI enables eligible professionals to participate under more than one reporting option.  However, if you satisfactorily report under more than one option, you will receive a maximum of ONE incentive payment.  Therefore, you are eligible to receive 2.0% of Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

There are only seven measures groups created for the 2009 PQRI: Diabetes Mellitus, Chronic Kidney Disease, Preventive Care, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Perioperative Care and Back Pain.
I bring this up is because if you have been effectively reporting for the past few months, you may be able to benefit.  Remember though, the second half of reporting commenced July 1, 2009 and will end December 31, 2009. 

Visit the CMS website to learn more about the PQRI specifications to see if you can take advantage of this NOW.

2009 PQRI Measure Codes http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/15_MeasuresCodes.asp#TopOfPage

Tags: emr, physician incentives, pqri