Quality Payment Program Merit-based Incentive Payment System Customer and Program Support Services
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 established the Quality Payment Program (QPP) in 2015 to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate Formula and to reward clinicians who provide high-value, high-quality care to Medicare patients.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the first year of the QPP in 2017 and contracted AIR to support CMS in enabling the continued successful implementation of this program, specifically focusing on providing customer and program support services to clinicians and stakeholders participating in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) path of the QPP (QPP MIPS).
AIR is responsible for developing program-specific communications, outreach, and education in plain language, including the development of QPP MIPS fact sheets, user guides, and related resources, and maintaining the QPP website. AIR uses human-centered design research and established stakeholder feedback loops to develop targeted resources and communications to help clinicians navigate their participation in QPP and address program complexities.
In addition, AIR operates a helpdesk to provide phone and email support to address customer and QPP program participants inquiries, including providing technical data submission and troubleshooting support; performance feedback technical support; virtual group registration support; exception application reviews; targeted review application reviews; and QPP policy and subject matter expertise.
AIR is responsible for supporting CMS in future QPP rulemaking throughout the lifecycle of the policymaking process, including policy analysis and payment modeling, public comment review and summarization, and development of policy recommendations and regulatory language.
