On April 30, 2008 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) presented an update on the 2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). CMS announced new program changes under the 2008 PQRI program that make it easier than ever for health care providers to participate.

New legislation now allows CMS to offer:

• New reporting approaches that give providers more options to successfully participate
• New, alternate reporting period to allow providers to begin reporting as late as July 1, 2008, and still receive an incentive payment (1.5 percent of allowable charges for services provided from July 1 through December 31, 2008)
• New option to submit quality measures data to CMS through a qualified, established clinical data registry, in which providers may already be participating

Also, for the 2008 reporting period, the new law removed the limit (cap) on the providers incentive, which was based on the actual volume quality measures data reported. (In the 2007 reporting period, this cap may have reduced a successful participant's incentive below 1.5 percent.)

For more information, view the April 30, 2008 National Provider Call presentation slides (PDF, 581K), and MM6104 (PDF, 100K) titled “2008 Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) Establishment of Alternative Reporting Periods and Reporting Criteria.”

Visit the CMS 2008 PQRI Tool Kit – Steps for Success website for PQRI information and downloads.