Medicare Finalizes Quality Measures Reporting List; Doctors of Chiropractic Eligible to Participate in 2008

(Arlington, Va.) -- Through the leadership of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), doctors of chiropractic will soon be eligible to participate in Medicare’s quality reporting program, known as the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). In 2008, the program will include 119 quality measures, including two applicable to chiropractic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2008 measures in mid-November. Beginning Jan. 1, doctors of chiropractic can report on measures related to “pain assessment prior to initiation of patient treatment,” and “adoption/use of health information technology.” “The inclusion of quality measures applicable to chiropractic care in the 2008 PQRI affords our profession an opportunity to strengthen its involvement in the promotion of quality patient care,” said ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC. “The ACA urges doctors of chiropractic to participate in PQRI. To assist doctors in this endeavor, the association will soon release chiropractic-specific information and practical tips to help educate clinic staff on the reporting process and to ensure proper documentation.” The PQRI program has established a financial incentive for doctors of chiropractic and other health care providers to participate. Chiropractors who successfully report on a designated set of quality measures on claims for dates of service from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2008, may earn a bonus payment estimated to be between 1.5 and 2.0 percent of submitted claims. For the past two years, CMS sponsored a voluntary program for physicians to report codes to the government regarding “quality” protocols and services performed in their practices. Under the 2008 program, eligible providers who choose to participate will help capture data about the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. Participating providers will also help government officials identify the most effective ways to use quality measures in daily practice. “Proper documentation will be the lynchpin for full chiropractic parity in Medicare. With the profession eagerly awaiting analysis of the Medicare chiropractic demonstration project, I urge chiropractic offices to become fully acclimated in reporting quality measures,” Dr. Manceaux added. While physicians are not required to register prior to participation in PQRI, they must be enrolled in Medicare and have a National Provider Identifier (NPI). In early 2007, recognizing the importance of improving quality patient care in the chiropractic setting, ACA established an internal Performance Measurement Workgroup to address quality measures development, endorsement, and implementation issues specific to the care provided by doctors of chiropractic. Under the guidance of an ACA hired consultant, the Workgroup has been successful in providing chiropractors an opportunity to report on quality measures specific to the Chiropractic Manipulative Treatment (CMT) codes recognized by Medicare. The detailed specifications for all final PQRI measures, along with other information about the PQRI program, can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri. Information regarding practical tips for doctors of chiropractic who plan to participate in the 2008 PQRI will soon be posted on ACA’s Web site at: