CMS 2007 Quality Initiatives Include Anesthesia for both Reporting and Bonus Payments

Attached is the latest on the CMS quality initiatives that clearly state that CRNAs may participate in the reporting and the incentive payment of 1.5% of allowed charges. The name of the program will change from the 2006 version to the 2007 version entitled, The Physician Quality Reporting Initiative or PQRI. We are to expect the parameters of reporting via the Fed Register by mid August 2007; however, reporting can start with dates of service July 1, 2007. Payments for the July 2007 - Dec 2007 period will be made in a lump sum payment to the provider ID's tax identification number in early 2008. There is mention of a cap but I am not able to ID what that cap might be at this time. I am encouraging all of our CRNA clientele and their employers nationwide to participate in this program, provided they provide the service(s) outlined in the upcoming regulation that CMS wishes to track. -At this time we all know that the only quality measure for anesthesia thus far has been the administration of antibiotics prior to surgery cut time- In the 2006 program there was a registration process however it appears that there may in fact not be such for the 2007 program.

Good news... CRNAs are specifically outlined as eligible, bad news is that the final regs do not come out until after the period is suppose to start, with no payments until 2008 with the looming "cap" on such payments. More later......

See Attachment