On June 11, 2010, CMS issued a transmittal containing the first two chapters of a new Manual.  The Manual is Pub. 100-22 and is titled "Medicare Quality Reporting Incentive Programs".  The Manual addresses the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) and E-Prescribing (eRx) Medicare Quality Reporting Incentive Programs.  The Manual does not establish new requirements for the PQRI and eRx programs.  It simply manualizes existing requirements to the programs. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services made it easier this year to collect a bonus for Electronic Prescribing. For certain ambulatory services, CMS now requires only one “G” measure code to be submitted on a claim. The measure is required to be reported on only 25 claims for the reporting period to be eligible for the 2% bonus. This is much easier than last year, when CMS required that one of three measure codes be submitted on 50% of eligible claims.

In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released proposed changes to the e-prescribing incentive program. The goal of the program is to incent prescribers to voluntarily adopt e-prescribing in the early years of the program and later in the program, penalize those who don’t adopt e-prescribing.

In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released proposed changes to the e-prescribing incentive program. The goal of the program is to incent prescribers to voluntarily adopt e-prescribing in the early years of the program and later in the program, penalize those who don’t adopt e-prescribing.

A recent CMS Manual Transmittal provides a high-level overview of claims-based reporting for the 2009 physician quality reporting initiative (PQRI) and the E-Prescribing Incentive Program.