For the 2008 Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to select organizations for feasibility testing of registries that potentially can report quality measures to PQRI. The Senate Finance Committee in January urged CMS (PDF, 45K) to implement this enhancement to the PQRI program.

In a February 28 letter (PDF, 122K) addressing Congress care of Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Finance, and Senator Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), the committee's Ranking Member, the Heart Rhythm Society detailed the importance of the ICD Registry™ and planned expansions.

On March 3rd, CMS announced (See CMS announcement, PDF, 45K) that NCDR has been selected. When complete, information on the results of feasibility testing with the ICD Registry will be published on CMS’ PQRI website.