CMS has completed its analysis of 2008 PQRI data and initiated payment for those who successfully met the reporting requirements of 80% reporting for three measures. For the 2008 PQRI reporting period, CMS will pay out a total of $92 million dollars. In 2008, providers qualified for an average of $1,000, up from roughly $600 for the initial 6-month reporting period available in 2007.

Of note, three of the pneumonia measures were reported with significant success:

• Measure 59: Empiric Antibiotic for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (97.18% success rate);
• Measure 58: Assessment of Mental Status for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia ( 97.22% success rate); and
• Measure 56: Vital Signs for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia (96.06% success rate).

Other Resources

Resources for these and other topics can be found on the reimbursement section of the ACEP Web site. The ACEP Coding and Nomenclature Advisory Committee, the ACEP Reimbursement Committee, and ACEP Reimbursement Department staff members are also available to field your questions. Finally, ACEP holds well-attended and highly recommended coding and reimbursement educational conferences twice a year.

Dr. Granovsky is a member of ACEP’s Coding and Nomenclature Advisory Committee. Dr. Granovsky is president of Medical Reimbursement Systems (MRSI), an ED billing and coding company.