Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: "PQRI: Save Time -- Home In on Cardiology Specific Measures" in Cardiology Coding Alert, vol. 12, no. 7, indicates that measure 7 is not active, but I still see it on the CMS site and my Medicare carrier told me the measure is still in effect. Can you please explain where the information on measure 7 not being active is? North Carolina Subscriber Answer: The cause of the confusion may be that for measure 7, the only reporting option is "registry." "Claims based" is not included as a reporting option for measure 7, and the article you reference focused on claims-based PQRI reporting. The 2009 PQRI measures document available at www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/15_MeasuresCodes.asp lists reporting options for each measure. The measure specifications manual and release notes available at the same site give the same "registration reporting only" instruction, too. Registry reporting: Certain groups, such as the American College of Cardiology (