Quality payment program: MIPS 2017 – New option allows practices to ease into quality requirements, avoid 4% cut

Why This Topic Matters

It helps practices understand the shift from earlier quality-reporting programs to MIPS and why the first year was structured to allow a low-bar entry into reporting. That matters for organizations trying to maintain Medicare revenue, align reporting workflows, and prepare for future quality-payment requirements.

Article Sections

1. Transition year overview

   Introduces the first year of the federal quality reporting program and explains the general approach CMS took for the initial transition period.

2. How to meet the minimum threshold

   Summarizes the broad reporting options discussed for satisfying the initial participation threshold and avoiding the penalty discussed in the article.

3. Quality category

   Describes the quality-reporting category as a continuation of earlier physician quality reporting activities and notes that the article discusses measure counts and deletions.

4. Clinical practice improvement activities (CPIA)

   Covers the new improvement-activity category and the types of broad subcategories referenced in the article.

5. Advancing care information (ACI)

   Explains the successor to meaningful use at a high level, including the reduced reporting burden and optional additions mentioned in the article.

6. Cost component

   Notes the article’s discussion of the cost category and its role in the first reporting year.