Doctors who did not adequately meet Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) requirements in 2016 will soon be receiving notification letters alerting them that their Medicare Part B physician fee schedule payments will be reduced by 2%.
Officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in a statement that “the majority” of eligible professionals “successfully reported to PQRS and avoided the downward payment adjustment,” but did not state how many doctors are expected to receive letters.
Physicians who are flagged for the payment reduction, but who believe they successfully complied with PQRS requirements, will have the opportunity to challenge the finding. They must submit an informal review request online here within 60 days of the release of the 2016 PQRS feedback report.
The CMS noted that there are no hardship exemptions to avoid the payment reduction for 2018.
