CMS is worried about how few providers understand or are even aware of MACRA. As we near October 2nd, the deadline by which 400,000 eligible providers must start tracking data in order to avoid a financial penalty in 2019, CMS has found that around 40% of clinicians and even fewer nurse practitioners have a solid understanding of the requirements. Their concern is only supported by a recent Integra Connect survey which finds that most specialty physicians have not yet made the operational changes necessary to succeed in the new world of value based care.

CMS is actively trying to figure out better ways to get the word out and to make educational tools more accessible, but at the end of the day providers must do their homework on this complex new law, and must prepare themselves and their practices if they want to avoid a negatively adjusted reimbursement in this and upcoming years. So whether you plan to invest in consulting or care coordination services, or to take a DIY approach to reporting, you should take some time today to familiarize yourself with the requirements if you haven’t already.

This may sound like a bunch of gloom and doom, but we do have some good news: there are tons of free resources designed to get you MIPS-ready! And for added convenience, we’ve put together a “reading list” of places to start.

The MIPS Resource Library

This page is full of links to webinars, fact sheets, eBooks, and tools that will guide you step by step through the complicated world of MIPS. This is a great place to start if you feel like you’re at square one, because it offers plain-English explanations of every facet of the reporting requirements, with lots of helpful diagrams and visuals.

The Quality Payment Program website

CMS has done a good job laying out the basic information about QPP, MIPS, and APMs on their official QPP website. The site also features a helpful tool that allows you to check your participation status by inputting your NPI number. If you’re not sure about your eligibility status, entering your NPI number to determine your status should be the very next task on your to-do list.

CMS Webinars and Training Videos

These pages contain links to CMS webinars on the Quality Payment Program, MIPS, and related topics. CMS provides slides, transcripts, and recordings for past webinars.

QPP Resource Library

This is on the QPP site but still gets its own bullet point because the list of PDF documents and downloads available further down the page is robust and worth perusing in its own right. This page also contains links to the official 2017 rule and the proposed 2018 rule, in case you have a need to reference them directly.

The Healthmonix Advisor

If you still have questions about MIPS, try searching or subscribing to our extensive collection of weekly blog posts. We’ve addressed a vast range of topics from the 2018 proposed rule to the absolute minimum required for MIPS success.

If you take just a few hours to explore these free resources, you can equip yourself with the knowledge you need to report successfully. But hurry--time is running out!