---
title: Highlights of CMS Updates for 2022 Quality Payment Program and Physician Fee Schedule
description: Read about this important update on our blog this week.
---

[Practice Support Services](https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/practicesupport)

# [Highlights of CMS Updates for 2022 Quality Payment Program and Physician Fee Schedule](https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/practicesupport/highlights-of-cms-updates-for-2022-quality-payment-program-and-physician-fee-schedule)

 Written by [Practice Support Team](https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/practicesupport/author/practice-support-team) | Nov 17, 2021 5:30:00 PM

**2022 Physician Fee Schedule Highlights - Read more here on the blog this week.**

 **(from [CY 2022 CMS PFS Final Rule) ](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-cy-2022-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-final-rule)**

- **Evaluation and Management (E/M) Visits:** CMS is engaged in an ongoing review of payment for E/M visit code sets. For CY 2022, we finalized several policies that take into account the recent changes to E/M visit codes, as explained in the AMA CPT Codebook, which took effect January 1, 2021. Specifically, we are making a number of refinements to our current policies for split (or shared) E/M visits, critical care services, and services furnished by teaching physicians involving residents.
- **Split Visits: **CMS is refining our longstanding policies for split (or shared) E/M visits to better reflect the current practice of medicine, the evolving role of non-physician practitioners (NPPs) as members of the medical team, and to clarify conditions of payment that must be met to bill Medicare for these services.
- **Billing for Physician Assistant (PA) Services** CMS is implementing section 403 of the CAA, which authorizes Medicare to make direct payment to PAs for professional services that they furnish under Part B beginning January 1, 2022. Medicare currently can only make payment to the employer or independent contractor of a PA. Beginning January 1, 2022, PAs may bill Medicare directly for their professional services, reassign payment for their professional services, and incorporate with other PAs and bill Medicare for PA services. 
- **Vaccine Administration Service** Effective January 1, 2022, CMS will pay $30 per dose for the administration of the influenza, pneumococcal and hepatitis B virus vaccines. In addition, CMS will maintain the current payment rate of $40 per dose for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines through the end of the calendar year in which the ongoing PHE ends. Effective January 1 of the year following the year in which the PHE ends, the payment rate for COVID-19 vaccine administration will be set at a rate to align with the payment rate for the administration of other Part B preventive vaccines  
  Quality Payment Program (QPP) Final Rule Highlights:  
    - **Revising the definition** of a MIPS eligible clinician to include social workers and certified nurse mid-wives.
    - **Setting the MIPS performance threshold** at 75 points and the exceptional performance threshold at 89 points.
    - **Weighting** the cost and quality performance categories equally (as statutorily required) at 30%.
    - **Extending the CMS Web Interface** as a collection type and submission type in traditional MIPS for registered groups, virtual groups, and APM Entities for the 2022 performance year only.
    - **Finalizing** a longer transition for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs)/MIPS clinical quality measures (CQMs) measure reporting for Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) by extending the CMS Web Interface as an option for 3 years (through the 2024 performance year).

[Review details of information summarized above and learn more from CMS.](https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-cy-2022-medicare-physician-fee-schedule-final-rule)

Stay tuned for more information to come to help you prepare for CY 2022!

 

[View full post](https://go.northwestahec.wakehealth.edu/practicesupport/highlights-of-cms-updates-for-2022-quality-payment-program-and-physician-fee-schedule)

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