What is an MVP, who will MVPs impact, when are MVPs being implemented, why is CMS sunsetting traditional MIPS, how is the AAO-HNSF and Reg-ent supporting and implementing MVPs?
What is an MVP?
Under traditional MIPS, clinicians have the choice of reporting on over 200+ MIPS quality measures (with additional QCDR measures for Reg-ent participants). MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), as currently proposed by CMS, will decrease the number of quality measures and improvement activities to a pool of 8-12 quality measures with complementary improvement activities and cost measures. Promoting Interoperability is a statutorily required component but found in the foundational layer. The foundational layer is composed of Promoting Interoperability as well as population health administrative claims measures that are standard (if applicable) across all MVP participants.
Who will MVPs impact?
Any MIPS eligible clinician, group, virtual group, or opt-in participant will be impacted by the transition.
When are MVPs being implemented?
Over the next few years, CMS intends to sunset traditional MIPS with the final year being 2027. The first MVPs will be available for MIPS submission for the 2023 performance year.
When should my practice make the transition from traditional MIPS to MVPs?
As traditional MIPS is phased out, practices should look at the quality measures included in an applicable MVP and begin mapping and refining the MVP measures while traditional MIPS is still available. Being prepared for the limited subset of measures will allow time to implement quality initiatives or clinical workflows prior to being scored on the metric.
Why is CMS sunsetting traditional MIPS and moving toward MVPs?
CMS’s intent is to provide a more cohesive participation experience, reduce burden and complexity, and include measures that are meaningful and applicable to each specialty. Their hope in limiting the choice of measures will result in scoring of similar data sets across the specialty. In addition, their goal is to standardize the measures within MVPs to produce data that can better assist patients in comparing clinician performance and selecting clinicians from which to seek care.
How is AAO-HNSF supporting and implementing MVPs?
Since CMS announced their plans for the transition in December 2020, AAO-HNSF was among the initial small groups of specialties to submit an MVP candidate. In response to our initial meetings with CMS, we reconstructed the MVP to create one MVP covering the majority of the subspecialties within otolaryngology-head and neck surgery based on the existing quality measures available. There is a delicate balance to include measures that are inclusive of all our specialists but also include specific quality measures that are meaningful. In March, AAO-HNSF submitted a revised MVP based on CMS’s initial feedback with additional considerations to subsequent policy outlined in the latest Final Rule. Since our latest MVP candidate submission, AAO-HNSF was pleased to receive positive feedback on the recent MVP candidate submission and has plans to meet in the near future with the CMS MVP team to discuss any additional revisions and considerations. CMS does not provide confirmation on acceptance of MVPs into the program until publication of the proposed rule.
How is Reg-ent supporting and implementing MVPs?
Within this transition phase, Reg-ent’s goal is to make the conversion as seamless as possible by offering both options, traditional MIPS and MVPs, so our participants can choose the best option for their practice. The Reg-ent registry anticipates a slow conversion over to MVP, but Reg-ent is dedicated to staying at the forefront of MVP implementation to allow Reg-ent members a smooth transition. The Reg-ent registry team is actively collaborating with its technical vendor, FIGmd, to determine the next iteration of the Reg-ent dashboard to support both the traditional MIPS structure and the new MVP option. Reg-ent aims to provide a scoring estimates for each reporting option to aid in the decision-making process.
We will continue to offer a broad range of quality measures that span the otolaryngology specialty outside of the quality measures included in each MVP. These additional metrics are essential for quality improvement initiatives to drive quality care and improve patient outcomes, while remaining mindful of cost.
