Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Quality Reporting Manual Released by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
On April 30, CMS released its manual for the ASC quality reporting program, which provides detailed information on how ASCs will be reporting quality data to CMS. The manual provides measure specifications for required measures, including the claims-based measures.
As a result of collaborative efforts by ASCRS, AAO, and the ASC Association, ophthalmic ASCs will only need to report on four claims-based measures during the reporting period (October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012) to avoid a 2 percent reduction in their Medicare payments in 2014. Also, in a major change to the safe surgery checklist requirement from the proposed version, ASCs now can answer “yes” if they used a checklist at any time during CY2012. Originally, the requirement was ASCs would be able to answer "yes" only if they had a safe surgery checklist in place on January 1, 2012.
Of the measures listed below, ophthalmic ASCs only need to report on the first four and can do so with a single G-code (G8907) if none of the adverse events occur. The minimum reporting threshold requirement is 50%.
ASCRS will continue to work with CMS as implementation of the new ASC quality reporting program continues.
For further information or questions, please contact Jenny Liljeberg, associate director of regulatory affairs, at jliljeberg@ascrs.org.
