Colorado QPP Coalition

Monday, January 01, 2018 12:26 PM

Prepare for QPP success

by Courtnay Ryan, Quality Improvement Facilitator, Telligen

With a renewed sense of energy in the new year, health care professionals are setting goals and strategies for success in the months to come. With that in mind, there is no better time to focus on the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The year 2018 marks phase 2 of the QPP and the second year of the transitional period for eligible clinicians to participate in it.

The QPP was established as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and began in 2017. Clinicians will continue to participate via one of two tracks: the Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) or Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). While requirements for the 2018 performance year have increased, the intent of the program and focus on cost and quality remain the same.

The goal is to help patients and clinicians make decisions about health care using data-driven insights, aligned and meaningful quality measures, and innovative technology. The program is designed to be flexible, transparent, and structured to reflect input from clinicians, patients and other stakeholders. Changes outlined in the QPP 2018 final rule allow for diversity in physician practice experiences with quality reporting, payment reform and the expectation that the QPP will evolve.

Colorado is known for its strong collaborative efforts and the ability to leverage resources, and the Colorado Quality Payment Program Coalition (COQPPC) is a perfect example of that. The COQPPC is a group of 25 member organizations from across the state that are committed to helping clinicians successfully navigate payment reform. As health care professionals, we recognize that the responsibility for this work is shouldered by physicians and administrative staff, which is why the COQPPC provides support and guidance to help alleviate some of that burden. The group provides streamlined communication efforts, monthly educational webinars, monthly fast facts and other resources developed by subject matter experts in the field to help groups succeed.

Monthly webinars, such as “Understanding your QRUR report” (www.cms.org/coqpp/webinars) provide a forum for 30 minutes of education on a topic related to QPP, with 30 minutes for open discussion and information sharing as well as questions and answers.

Fast facts (www.cms.org/coqpp/fast-facts) such as “What is an alternative payment model?” provide five resources that take five minutes to read and will help clinicians stay on track.

COQPPC partners and stakeholders share a vision to reach all clinicians across Colorado through increased awareness of the QPP and its effects on physician practices. COQPPC is comprised of organizations that provide no-cost technical assistance and health information technology as well as professional societies and others who can advocate on behalf of providers in the state. The group has strong support and engagement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and has been recognized nationally for its work in Colorado.

For a full list of COQPPC members, technical assistance support and all resources, please visit www.cms.org/coqpp.

We welcome any organization that would like to join COQPPC and further support the clinicians across Colorado. For more information on the resources available or to join COQPPC, please contact Courtnay Ryan at courtnay.ryan@area-d.hcqis.org.