The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated its MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) program in the finalized rules for 2024. This program was launched in 2023 and seeks to simplify and better align scoring and reporting for performance categories. The new approach is intended to make the process easier for healthcare providers and more relevant to specialists, potentially leading to better patient outcomes at lower costs.
Optional Participation Until 2025
Participation in the MVPs program is optional until 2025. Providers who want to join have to register and choose one of the 16 available value pathways. Although the number and type of pathways may change with time.
Reporting Requirements
MVP reporting retains the same four performance categories as in the original MIPS structure:
- Quality
- Cost
- Improvement Activities
- Promoting Interoperability
It also includes a foundational focus on promoting interoperability and population health measures.
Specialty-Specific Measures
Typically, providers report fewer measures through MVPs, many of which are specialty-specific. In the Improving Care for Lower Extremity Joint Repair MVP, for example, an orthopedic provider has a choice of eight quality measures; she chooses four, of which at least one must be an outcome measure. In the improvement activity measures, she selects one high-weighted or two medium-weight activities from 12. CMS uses administrative claims data to determine performance in the cost category.
Preparing for Value-Based Care
These changes reflect a shift toward more streamlined and impactful healthcare management. Understanding MVPs now can help your practice adapt and thrive in a value-based care environment.
What are MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs)?
MIPS Value Pathways, or MVPs, is the new way through which doctors and other healthcare providers meet MIPS reporting requirements by emphasizing streamlined and relevant measures and activities.
Here is how MVPs work:
- All the 4 performance categories, Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities remain intact. Quality, Cost, and Improvement Activities are scored based on the chosen pathway, with practices choosing measures related to their specialty from a list provided by CMS.
- Promoting Interoperability is measured the same across specialties
- Population health measures are incorporated as a foundation measure, and practices are able to select one to submit.
- Flexibility for Multispecialty Groups
- Large, multispecialty practices can combine into subgroups. These subgroups submit.
- Quality, cost, and improvement activity data at the subgroup level.
- A More Holistic Approach
- The MVP system links quality measures with cost and improvement measures, providing a more comprehensive and meaningful view of a clinic’s performance. This new framework is designed to make reporting more relevant, streamlined, and better aligned with value-based care goals.
Evolution of MIPS Value Pathways
MIPS is the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System that was designed to take healthcare payments away from fee-for-service models and encourage better quality care at lower costs.
Building on this line, the MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) framework addresses measures and activities associated with one specialty or clinical condition. Population health and interoperability are integral for MVPs aimed at improving better health outcomes as an industry at large while acknowledging specific needs under the umbrella of specialty care.
Our Prime Well Med Solutions Company
Struggling with MIPS reporting? Don’t let complex processes hold your practice back. At Prime Well Med Solutions, we make MIPS Value Pathways easy, helping you focus on what truly matters—your patients. From quality measures to promoting interoperability, we guide you every step of the way.
Ready to streamline your reporting and boost your outcomes? Contact us today and set your practice up for success!
How Technological Advancement Helps Improve Efficiencies in MVPs?
Technology helps make MVPs more efficient through better cost management and care of patients. Tools such as EMA, EHR and gGastro EHR offer specialty-specific features to help streamline workflows and make things easier:
- Centralized patient records can easily be accessed by patients, providers, and third-party partners.
- Specialized workflows reduce clicks and steps for providers, so that they could document more efficiently and quickly and devote more time to patients.
- Automation helps repetitive work, which would be consistent across processes and save time.
Other Benefits
When the practice optimizes the technology solutions, it can get better patient engagement, less administrative work for staff, and a better ability to attract new providers to help the practice grow and thrive.
New MIPS Value Pathways for 2024
For the 2024 performance year, CMS has introduced five new MIPS Value Pathways and updated all previously finalized pathways.
To date, there are 16 MVPs available for voluntary reporting:
- Pathway on Women’s Health
- Quality Care for Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders
- Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Disorders, including Hepatitis C and HIV
- Quality Care in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
- Rehabilitative Support for Musculoskeletal Care
- Adopting Best Practices and Supporting Patient Safety in Emergency Medicine
- Improving Cancer Care
- Improving Cardiovascular Care
- Improving Rheumatology Patient Care
- Streamlining Stroke Care to Support Prevention and Positive Outcomes
- Improving Lower Extremity Joint Repair Care
- Optimal Kidney Healthcare
- Optimal Episodic Neurological Conditions Patient Care
- Patient Safety and Support of Positive Experiences with Anesthesia
- Supportive Neurodegenerative Conditions Care
- Value in Primary Care
Promoting Interoperability Revisions
For 2024, CMS revised the Promoting Interoperability (PI) category as follows:
- The performance period minimum is increased for the PI category to 180 days from 90 days.
- The PDMP measure now covers Schedule II, III, and IV drugs, as opposed to previous measures that included only Schedule II opioids.
- To claim an exclusion for PDMP, you need to prove that you did not electronically prescribe Schedule II, III, or IV drugs during the performance period.
- A “yes” answer is now required for the SAFER Guides measure.
These updates reflect CMS’s aim to improve the quality, safety, and data sharing of healthcare.
Are MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) Required?
MIPS Value Pathways will be a requirement in the future as the healthcare industry continues to shift toward value-based care. However, this will not happen overnight. MVPs are still voluntary in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, multispecialty groups that elect to report MVPs must do so as subgroups.
CMS will also eliminate the MIPS program after 2026. Then, when it does, practices will need to change the way they collect, track, and report performance data, creating yet another reporting process change.
Prepare for MIPS Value Pathways!
Doctors who are experienced with the shift to MIPS would know that an early preparation could make the whole process much less painful. Rule changes and changes in reporting will always impact efficiency and finances. Preparing early will help to minimize risks while keeping daily business operations running smoothly.
If you need more help regarding MIPS value pathways, you can book a consultation with us right now!
