LCSWs and Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) will subject clinical social workers and other health care professionals who are Medicare providers to a 1.5% penalty fee in 2015 if they do not use measures when performing services to Medicare patients during the year of 2013. PQRS is a program promoting the reporting of measures to determine quality services. To avoid this penalty in 2015, clinical social workers must begin using clinical measures developed by PQRS in 2013. A list of measures and instructions on how to use measures with Medicare patients is available online at the PQRS Web site at the following link: http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/PQRS/index.html?redirect=/pqrs
NASW Practice Perspective covers how to enroll and how to use codes when reporting PQRS: Reporting PQRS Measures for Medicare in 2013 (you will be asked to log in to view this)
Who to contact if you have questions about PQRS: https://questions.cms.gov/faq.php?id=5005&faqId=7591
NASW-NC Social Work Blog 