Quality Payment Program: New MIPS Resources

New Resources are Now Available on the QPP Resource Library 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added many new Quality Payment Program (QPP) resources to the QPP Resource Library: 

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 

• 2021 MIPS User Guides: Provide details on a variety of topics to help clinicians understand the 2021 MIPS performance year requirements. The guides cover the following:  Improvement Activities Performance Category (PDF), Promoting Interoperability Performance Category (PDF),  Eligibility and Participation (PDF)  
• 2021 MIPS Measures and Activities Specialty Guides (ZIP): List samples of measures and activities for the 2021 MIPS performance categories relevant to various eligible specialists. Each guide explains how measures and activities are applicable to the individual specialty, includes the weight of each performance category for the MIPS Final Score, and provides information about submitting data. 
• 2021 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program vs. MIPS Promoting Interoperability Performance Category Infographic (PDF): Highlights the similarities and differences between the Promoting Interoperability performance category of MIPS for eligible clinicians and the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) for the 2021 performance year.  
• 2021 CMS Web Interface and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Materials (requires registration by June 30 for some eligible clinicians):  2021 CMS Web Interface Quick Start Guide (PDF): Provides information needed to understand and report 2021 data via the CMS Web Interface. 2021 CAHPS for MIPS Overview Fact Sheet (PDF): Explains the 2021 CAHPS for MIPS Survey. 
• 2021 Facility-Based Quick Start Guide (PDF): Provides an overview of the process used to assess performance at the facility level for select MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, and virtual groups whose primary healthcare responsibilities take place in hospital settings. 
• 2021 Quality Benchmarks (ZIP): New and updated resources that list and explain the 2021 benchmarks used to assess performance in the quality performance category. 
• 2021 MIPS Data Validation Criteria (ZIP): Updated documents list the 2021 criteria used to audit and validate data submitted for MIPS performance categories. 

Alternative Payment Models (APMs) 

• 2020 and 2021 Comprehensive List of APMs (PDF): Displays an updated, comprehensive list of APMs for the 2020 and 2021 performance years of the QPP. 
• 2021 Payment Year Scores for Improvement Activities in MIPS APMs (PDF): Lists the MIPS APMs and their corresponding assigned scores for improvement activities in the 2021 performance period. 

For More Information 

Contact the Quality Payment Program at 1-866-288-8292 or by e-mail at: QPP@cms.hhs.gov. To receive assistance more quickly, consider calling during non-peak hours—before 10 a.m. and after 2 p.m. ET.