How to Choose the Right Reporting Partner

How to Choose the Right Reporting Partner

Nov 11, 2021 | Health eFilings, Partner

MIPS Strategic Guide – How to Choose the Right Reporting Partner

Given the way the MIPS program has evolved, all healthcare practices regardless of size or specialty must evolve their approach to MIPS reporting to assure their success with the program. However, most clinicians do not understand or don’t have awareness of, the different reporting methods available to them and the impact the reporting method can have on their success with MIPS. With what is at stake financially, it is critical that you understand and select the right methodology and partner to maximize your MIPS points and protect your bottom line.

Many clinicians erroneously think that a registry is the only reporting option available to them or that they are required to use a registry. Or, they think that their EHR handles reporting for them. These misperceptions and general lack of awareness of the other reporting methodology will be detrimental to your ability to be successful with MIPS. And, given that 50% of all clinicians will be penalized annually by next year, the legacy reporting methods (registry or EHR) will not be able to fulfill enough of the reporting criteria to earn the minimum MIPS points needed to avoid the 9% reduction in Medicare reimbursements.

To help you determine if you are choosing the right reporting method and partner, we’ve identified the five most important factors to consider in order to increase your probability of avoiding the 9% penalty.

  1. Reporting Classification – is the reporting partner a CEHRT?
  2. Service Approach — Does the reporting partner use ONC certified software to do all the work with no IT resources, administrative support, or workflow changes?
  3. Quality Measures — Is the reporting partner certified by CMS to calculate all eCQMs, which earn significantly more points than registry measures?
  4. Benchmarking — Are proprietary algorithms used to assess the 9 million possible combinations of Quality measures to maximize earning MIPS points?
  5. Submission Method — Does the reporting partner submit a comprehensive electronic file directly to CMS to comply with reporting for all MIPS categories?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, then the reporting partner you are working with will not be able to maximize the MIPS points you can earn. Given every MIPS point matters, because MIPS points determine your reimbursements and impact your bottom line, it’s time to consider a new strategy with a new reporting partner.

Health eFilings, a CEHRT, is the national leader in automated MIPS reporting.  They utilize ONC-certified software to handle 100% of the tracking and reporting of the required data to CMS.  And because their service is classified as an end-to-end electronic solution, you’ll also earn additional bonus points toward your MIPS score even though they are doing all the work.  Health eFilings as your partner is the more effective and efficient reporting method so you will earn more points and, ultimately, receive higher reimbursements.

Learn more about how Health eFilings can help your practice here: https://healthefilings.com/ezclaim.  Contact Sarah Reiter, sreiter@healthefilings.com, or 608.841.1866 to find out how to maximize your Medicare reimbursements and protect your bottom line.

About Health eFilings:

Health eFilings, a CEHRT, is the national leader in automated MIPS compliance and quality data analytics.  Its services drive improved patient outcomes, optimized quality measures, and stronger financial results for healthcare practices. Their proprietary cloud-based ONC certified software is significantly more efficient and effective than any registry as it does all the work to extract, calculate, benchmark, format, and electronically submit MIPS data to CMS so clients avoid significant penalties and earn maximum reimbursements. And, you can have peace of mind knowing you are working with the best partner because CMS has accepted 100% of Health eFilings’ submissions. Learn more here: https://healthefilings.com/ezclaim

ABOUT EZCLAIM:
As a medical billing expert, EZClaim can help the medical practice improve its revenues since it is a medical billing and scheduling software company. EZClaim provides a best-in-class product, with correspondingly exceptional service and support. Combined, EZClaim helps improve medical billing revenues. To learn more, visit EZClaim’s website, email them, or call them today at 877.650.0904.

 

Maximizing MIPS Score with Health eFilings

Maximizing MIPS Score with Health eFilings

Mar 10, 2020 | Health eFilings, Partner

There are many commonly misunderstood aspects and nuances with the MIPS program, particularly in how points are earned.  For a healthcare practice, it can be challenging to know exactly what to do to earn points, optimize the score, and protect their Medicare reimbursements.  But, at the same time, the stakes have been raised every year and the final ruling of the program is even more complex than it has been in the past, further increasing the stress, burden, and financial risk for a healthcare practice.

The approach a practice takes to report for MIPS will greatly impact the results.  Many do not understand or have awareness of, the different reporting methods available to them. Many Providers erroneously still think that a registry is the only reporting option available to them or that they are required to use a registry. Or, they think that their EHR covers their reporting obligation or that an EHR’s reports satisfy the MIPS requirements. These misperceptions and erroneous assumptions are detrimental to the financial interests of any practice.

There is a third reporting methodology that has been established and authorized by CMS, called CEHRT, or Certified EHR Technology (software).  The CEHRT methodology assists CMS with their need for more valid data submitted through technology and to refocus Providers from merely using technology towards Providers leveraging technology to improve outcomes.  Reporting via a CEHRT using software that has been certified by the ONC is a superior approach because it optimizes the points that could be earned and therefore, maximizes Medicare reimbursements for the practice.

Recently an RCM company CEO approached us at Health eFilings with the decision to use six of her clients to conduct a side-by-side comparison of the registry and Health eFilings (CEHRT) methodologies for reporting. In this manner, she intended to validate for herself whether a CEHRT or registry would generate the greatest ROI for her clients. The results of using Health eFilings’ MIPS Accelerator service, on average earned almost triple the points versus a registry for the same year for the same clients.

MIPS score comparison graph

“Due to limited understanding and guidance, we weren’t aware of the differences of the reporting methodologies available for my clients.  We believed there was greater opportunity, but the current registry methodology we had chosen didn’t demonstrate that for our clients.”

Katy, RCM Company CEO

 

 

This side-by-side comparison highlights not only that a CEHRT is a superior method of reporting as Health eFilings was able to leverage technology to facilitate the ease, accuracy, and completeness of tracking and reporting, but it also maximizes a Provider’s MIPS score.  Additionally, given the levels of Medicare reimbursements for these practices, the higher score resulted in their earning a positive payment adjustment, which significantly improved their bottom line. And, take note that if the Registry were to perform the reporting for the 2019 reporting period, these practices would not earn enough points to avoid the penalty of negative 7%.

Health eFilings with its proprietary ONC certified software has many advantages over any type of registry:

  • Automatically extracts data from any EHR or billing system
  • No staff or IT time required to comply
  • Benchmarks performance versus peers based on CMS standards
  • The proprietary algorithm evaluates 9 million combinations to select the best quality measures to optimize the score
  • Earn 10% in bonus points for the Quality category
  • eCQM deciles earn more points than registry deciles
  • Almost all eCQM’s have a CMS benchmark versus less than 25% of registry measures
  • Electronically submits the data to CMS

And, important to note that it’s NOT too late to comply for the 2019 reporting period as Health eFilings is able to support new clients, but time is of the essence.  Reach out NOW if you or your client hasn’t reported for 2019—there is NO REASON to accept the 7% revenue hit.

Now EZClaim and Health eFilings want to ensure you can partner with the only complete, end-to-end MIPS compliance solution that saves you significant time and money. To learn more, click the following link: https://healthefilings.com/ezclaim

[ Article was written by Sarah Reiter, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with Health eFilings ].