Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Physician Note:

HHS Distributes 4th Round of PRF Payments

Published on Wed Apr 13, 2022

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The feds recently announced another update on Provider Relief Fund (PRF) payments, and the news is positive.

Details: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is distributing Provider Relief Fund (PRF) phase 4 payments, this time totaling $413 million, HHS says in a release.

Overall, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has paid out nearly $12 billion to more than 82,000 providers since November 2021, HHS says. “Health care providers are doing critical work on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19,” HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson says in the release. “Provider Relief Fund resources are continuing to help meet these essential needs and maintain access to key health services across the country.”

Find a breakdown of Phase 4 payments by state at www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief/data/general-distribution/phase-4-general-distribution-payments.

CMS Updates Care Compare With QPP 2020 Data

The feds have finally added the 2020 Quality Payment Program (QPP) information to Care Compare, and it’s now available for clinicians to review.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) “added new Quality Payment Program performance information to the Doctors & Clinicians section of the Care Compare webpage and in the Provider Data Catalog” for performance year (PY) 2020, an MLN Connects post notes.

Reminder: “CMS is required to report MIPS eligible clinicians’ final scores, MIPS eligible clinicians’ performances under each MIPS performance category, names of eligible clinicians in Advanced APMs and, to the extent feasible, the names and performance of such Advanced APMs,” agency guidance on Care Compare reminds. “Performance information for doctors and clinicians is displayed using measure-level star ratings, percent performance scores, and checkmarks,” CMS adds.

Find your data at under the doctors and clinicians section at www.medicare.gov/care-compare/ and review additional Care Compare guidance at www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Care-Compare-DAC-Initiative.