​Groups can now register to participate in the 2015 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) Group Reporting Option (GPRO) via the Physician Value-Physician Quality Reporting System (PV-PQRS) Registration System. PQRS GPRO is an option available to groups with 2 or more eligible professionals (EPs).  Groups must meet the satisfactory reporting criteria through the PQRS GPRO in order to avoid the “-2.0%” CY 2017 PQRS payment adjustment. More information about the CY 2017 PQRS payment adjustment will be available on the PQRS Payment Adjustment Information webpage.

In addition, physicians in groups of all sizes and physician solo practitioners are subject to the Value Modifier in 2017, based on performance in 2015.  Under the Value Modifier, these physicians and groups must meet the criteria to avoid the downward payment adjustment under PQRS in order to avoid an additional automatic downward adjustment under the Value Modifier and qualify for adjustments based on their quality performance.  Satisfactorily reporting via a PQRS GPRO is one of the ways groups can avoid automatic downward adjustments and qualify for performance-based payment incentives under the Value Modifier.  Please see the What Physicians Need to Do in 2015 for the 2017 VM document on the Value Modifier webpage for more information.

Groups can participate in the PQRS program for the 2015 performance period, by selecting one of the GPRO reporting mechanisms between April 1, 2015 and June 30, 2015 (11:59 pm EDT):

• Qualified PQRS Registry
• Electronic Health Record (EHR) [via Direct EHR using certified EHR technology (CEHRT) or CEHRT via Data Submission Vendor]
• Web Interface (for groups with 25 or more EPs only)
• Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) for PQRS Survey via a CMS-certified Survey Vendor (as a supplement to another GPRO reporting mechanism)

Note:

• In 2015, the CAHPS for PQRS survey is mandatory for groups with 100 or more EPs and optional for groups with between 2 to 99 EPs. Groups with 2 or more EPs can elect whether to include the results of their 2015 CAHPS for PQRS survey in the calculation of their 2017 Value-based Payment Modifier (Value Modifier). 
• In 2015, for groups that elect or are required to report the CAHPS for PQRS survey, the group is responsible for selecting and paying a certified a survey vendor to implement the survey on behalf of the group.
• Some groups may have insufficient sample sizes for valid and reliable CAHPS for PQRS survey results, as a result of patient attribution and sampling rules. CMS will notify groups that do not have enough beneficiaries assigned. Groups should make sure to report a sufficient number of measures via their primary chosen GPRO reporting mechanism (Registry, EHR, or Web Interface) to meet program requirements.

Physician groups with 2 or more EPs that choose not to register, must ensure that at least 50% of the EPs in the group meet the criteria to avoid the 2017 PQRS payment adjustment as individuals in order for the group to avoid the automatic 2017 Value Modifier downward payment adjustment (-2.0% or -4.0% depending on the group’s size).

 

The Registration System can be accessed at https://portal.cms.gov using a valid Individuals Authorized Access to the CMS Computer Services (IACS) account. Step-by-step instructions for obtaining an IACS account with the correct role are provided on the PQRS GPRO Registration webpage.

Step-by-step instructions for registering to participate in the 2015 PQRS GPRO are provided in the “2015 PQRS GPRO Registration Guide” located in the “Downloads” section of the PQRS GPRO webpage.