Quality Payment Program measure development

What are the CMS Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP) and the MDP Annual Report?

Our Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP) is a way to help us build and improve quality measures clinicians can report under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and as participants in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). MIPS and APMs together are known as the Quality Payment Program. Our MDP is required by section 1848(s)(1)(F) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 102 of the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

To supplement the MDP for measure development funded by section 1848(s)(6) of the Act, we:

• Did environmental scans and gap analyses.
• Worked with interested parties.

These activities helped us to:

• Get expert input about the measures we need.
• Prioritize which measures to develop.
• Evaluate existing quality measures.
• Reduce the reporting cost and burden for clinicians.
• Meet our goal of person-centered, value-based measures to support the Quality Payment Program.

You can get more information about or help with the Quality Payment Program and/or the MDP.

Reports

CMS Quality Measure Development Plan (PDF) – May 2, 2016

The Measure Development Plan guides the development of quality measures to:

• Support value-based payment for eligible clinicians.
• Help people make decisions about their health care.

We posted the draft plan (PDF) on December 18, 2015. Then, after we got extensive input from the public, we published the final Measure Development Plan on May 2, 2016.

Measure Development Plan (MDP) Annual Reports meet MACRA’s requirement to report our progress in:

• Developing measures for the Quality Payment Program.
• Implementing the CMS Quality Measure Development Plan.

We know clinicians face a burden and cost when they have to report. We’re committed to considering only what’s most important to providing high-quality care and improving patient outcomes.

Our environmental scans look at quality measures for the Quality Payment Program. Each report finds gaps where targeted measure development would help us meet our quality priorities. Our latest report supports development of MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), an additional reporting option for clinicians, by focusing on population health measures and gaps.

Our contractor convened Technical Expert Panels (TEPs) to help find recommendations to improve quality measures for clinicians. These panels of measurement experts, clinicians, patient/caregiver representatives, and other stakeholders reviewed our gap analyses and gave us input on the MDP Annual Reports.