QRUR reports will be key in deciding Medicare pay

In the report, CMS provides the total per capita cost for patients with the four chronic conditions that will compose the cost composite for the value modifier. These costs are risk adjusted and include services furnished by you and all other Medicare providers seen by the beneficiary.

Moving forward

For calendar year 2014 physician feedback reports, CMS will provide reports to all groups of physicians with 25 or more eligible professionals. CMS expects to send out the reports in the fall of 2014 based on 2013 data, so that reports are based on the performance year for the value modifier. CMS will show the amount of the value modifier and the basis for determination.

CMS is expecting to add patient-level data to the QRURs for outcomes measures. In the future, CMS will also provide episode-based cost measures for several episode types in the physician feedback report.

Dr. Brill is the Chief Medical Officer of Predictive Health, LLC, in Phoenix and is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.