News

ASTS Primer on Incentive Payments

Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) for
Transplant Surgeons

Dear Colleagues,

Click here to view ASTS primer on incentive payments available through the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). In an effort to facilitate transplant surgeons participation in PQRI, the ASTS Council has approved this guide on how transplant surgeons can join, the measures specific to transplant surgeons, and the worksheets and necessary coding information for billing.

Participating surgeons can receive a bonus of 2% of their total Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule, and payment is for reporting not for performance. Those who may be concerned about the potential for public reporting of personal outcomes might keep in mind that at this point most PQRI measures are process rather than outcome measures, and CMS is considering several other groups’ requests that results be attributed to the multidisciplinary team rather than the individual.

We hope that you consider joining PQRI and thereby increase your revenue and contribute to a national quality improvement initiative. By joining now, you will also be prepared for the possibility that PQRI, which is currently voluntary, becomes obligatory as CMS moves to value-based purchasing and performance-based payment.  

The Standards Committee is also developing transplant-related performance measures, working to facilitate registry use for PQRI reporting, and engaging with the ACS and AMA to keep abreast of quality initiatives as they relate to P4P and MOC.

David J. Reich, MD
Chairman, ASTS Standards on Organ Transplantation Committee