Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive

Continuing in 2013, physicians will have the opportunity to earn the Physician Quality Reporting System incentive and an additional incentive of 0.5% by working with a Maintenance of Certification entity and by completing the following:

• Satisfactorily submitting data, without regard to method, on quality measures under Physician Quality Reporting, for a 12-month reporting period either as an individual physician or as a member of a selected group practice.

AND

• More frequently than is required to qualify for or maintain board certification:

o Participate in a Maintenance of Certification Program and
o Successfully complete a qualified Maintenance of Certification Program practice assessment.

2013 PQRS: Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Made Simple.  This Fact Sheet provides steps for successful participation in the Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive. It also explains the role of the qualified Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive entity.   To view, click on the document titled “2013 Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS): Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Made Simple" in the “Downloads” section below.

2013 Maintenance of Certification Qualification Requirements.  CMS has posted the Maintenance of Certification Requirements  for the PQRS System 2013 incentive eligibility.  To view, click on the document titled “2013 Maintenance of Certification Qualification Requirements” in the “Downloads” section below.

2012 Maintenance of Certification

2012 Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive XML File Specification 

The Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive XML File Specification for Program Year 2012 had been posted to this section page.  To view click on document titled "2012 Maintenance of Certification Program XML File Specification" in the "Downloads" section below.

2012 Qualified Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Entities 

CMS is pleased to announce that the following entities have become “qualified” for purposes of the 2012 Physician Quality Reporting System Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive. These entities have participated in a vetting process to ensure that the Maintenance of Certification Program(s) they represent meet the requirements for participation in this incentive. While the listed entities have been qualified, CMS cannot guarantee that any or all of the listed entities will be successful in providing the required information on behalf of their physicians.
Physicians who wish to participate in the 2012 Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive.

Conditionally Qualified Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Entities for 2011

A list of Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive entities that have been conditionally qualified for program participation is available in the "Downloads" section below. These entities have participated in a vetting process to ensure that the Maintenance of Certification Program(s) they represent meet the requirements for participation in this incentive. Further vetting will occur to ensure successful transmission of data in the summer of 2011.

2011 Fully Qualified Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Entities

A list of entities have become “qualified” for purposes of the 2011 Physician Quality Reporting System Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive. These entities have successfully completed the vetting process to ensure that the Maintenance of Certification Program(s) they represent meet the requirements for participation in this incentive. This list titled “2011 Fully Qualified Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Entities” is available in the “Downloads” section below.

Note: CMS has received inquiries from potential Maintenance of Certification entities requesting clarification on the "more frequently" requirement for participation. CMS has issued the "Physician Quality Reporting System Maintenance of Certification Program Incentive Guidance" to clarify participation requirements, which is located under the "Downloads" section below.