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  • MIPS 2021—What’s New With Improvement Activities

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    This content is excerpted from EyeNet’s MIPS 2021; also see the Academy’s MIPS hub page.

    The improvement activities performance category is largely the same as last year, though CMS has clarified the requirements for a COVID-19 activity that was introduced last year, and it also modified the descrip­tions for two improvement activities.

    IA_ERP_3 has a new name: COVID-19 clinical data reporting with or without clinical trial. CMS launched this high-weighted improvement activity in March 2020, but the activity’s initial name—COVID-19 clinical trials—proved to be misleading. Later in 2020, the agency renamed the activity to clarify that you don’t have to be involved in a clinical trial.   

    IA_AHE_7: Comprehensive eye exams. CMS expanded its description of this medium-weighted activity to include promoting access to vision rehabilitation services.   

    IA_BE_4: Engagement of patients through improvements in patient portal. CMS has expanded the description of this medium-weighted activity. It has added language that:

    • includes caregivers as potential portal users;
    • clarifies that the portal’s use should be bidirectional and its primary use should be clinical, not just administrative; and
    • adds a list of examples of bidirectional, clinical use.

    Previous: What’s New With Promoting Interoperability

    Next: What’s New With Cost

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