Reducing the burden of Medicare’s physician quality-reporting system

From international law firm Arnold & Porter LLP comes a timely column that provides views on current regulatory and legislative topics that weigh on the minds of today’s physicians and health care executives.Gone are the days where a health care provider could simply bill Medicare for services rendered and expect reimbursement at the fee schedule rate. Today, health care providers must report quality measures, put electronic health records to meaningful use and display efficiency in care to earn incentive payments and avoid various downward payment adjustments. Thus, figuring out how to properly report under these programs — and how to do so efficiently — can have a significant impact on your practice’s profits. This article provides basic information about the Physician Quality Report System (PQRS) and provides tips on how to minimize the reporting burden.