GPRO PQRS Reporting Registration Deadline June 30, 2015
June 30 is the final deadline for practices intending to register for the Group Practice Reporting Option (GPRO) in order to report 2015 PQRS data as a group. Groups must register via the Physician Value-PQRS registration system using a valid IACS account and select a GPRO reporting method, which include registry, EHR, web interface, and reporting CAHPS measures through a certified survey vendor.
Medicare Conversion Factor Increase Effective July 1, 2015
As a result of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the first of five scheduled 0.5% Medicare physician payment increases will go into effect July 1. This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the updated RVU files reflecting the payment increase and new conversion factor, $35.9335 (previously $35.7547). The updated RVU files are located in a zip drive on this CMS webpage. Medicare Administrative Contractors are currently updating their payment systems in preparation for the payment increase. The next 0.5% payment increase is scheduled for Jan. 1, 2016 and subsequent 0.5% updates will take place at the beginning of each year through 2019.
