The proposed rule adds a Health Risk Assessment (HRA) as a required element for the annualwellness visit (AWV) beginning in 2012.
Regulations for Medicare coverage of the AWV are established at 42 CFR 410.15. The AWV maybe performed by a physician, nonphysician practitioner (physician assistant, nurse practitioner,or clinical nurse specialist), or a medical professional (including a health educator, a registereddietitian, or a nutrition professional, or other licensed practitioner) or a team of such medical
Quality Reporting System would be required to have a Physician Quality Reporting Systemqualified EHR product. “We understand that eligible professionals may have purchasedCertified EHR Technology for purposes of reporting under the Medicare and Medicaid EHRIncentive Programs. Such Certified EHR Technology may or may not be qualified for purposesof the 2012 Physician Quality Reporting System. The certification process for EHR technologydoes not test the EHR product’s ability to output a file that meets the Physician QualityReporting System measures file specifications.”
For direct EHR vendors wishing to qualify for participation in the 2012 Physician QualityReporting System-Medicare Incentive Pilot for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program (discussedin section IV.H. of this proposed rule), is proposing a separate, accelerated vetting process forEHR vendors and their products.
Incentive Payments for the 2012 Physician Quality Reporting SystemIncentive equal to 0.5 percent of the total estimated part B allowed charges for all coveredprofessional services furnished by the eligible professional (or group).
