Last year some of our physicians participated in the Medicare PQRI pilot program.
This is one of Medicare's carrot and stick programs.
From the medical billing standpoint, the process was reasonably simple, but from the provider standpoint is was not.
To receive the bonus, several things had to happen.
The patient had to be assessed, the assessment had to be documented, and part of that documentation process included unique forms that Medicare had created and posted on-line for us to download and produce at our own expense.
It was not as if one form would suffice, there was a different form for each report, meaning there were several forms that had to be produced and managed on the physician's end.
Once all of those hurdles were accomplished, Medicare was to pay the PQRI stipend.
The pilot program began in July 1, 2007 and ended December 31, 2007.
We were allowed an additional 60 days to complete the paperwork and get the claims filed.
All PQRI reporting had to be done with the visit filing meaning that each visit had to be coordinated with the initiative.
Any PQRI filed by itself would be denied.
I encouraged all of our practices to participate because I felt that at some point the reporting may become mandatory and it would give us a good chance to test run what needed to be done.
All that being said, we are now in the middle of August 2008 and Medicare is yet to pay the stipend.
It has been over a year! All of our practices who participated have unanimously agreed that they will not participate with the current program.
The workload far exceeded the alleged stipend and even that has not been forthcoming.