What is the Value-based Payment Modifier?
The value-based modifier program is a budget neutral payment modifier based on relative quality and cost of care. Quality and Resource Use Reports will provide the quality-related feedback. Medicare plans to adjust physician payments using quality outcomes data from the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and cost data from Medicare claims for fee-for-service patients.
According to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the modifier must be applied to all physicians and physician groups by January 1, 2017. This is a pay for value (i.e., quality relative to cost) program– higher value gets higher pay; lower value gets lower pay, based on quality tiering.
In 2019 and beyond, the value-based payment modifier will be replaced by the merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS).
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services site (www.cms.gov) has more information on the value-based payment modifier.
Performance Year | Value Modifier Year | Physician Group Size | Possible Value Modifier Outcomes |
2013 | 2015 | 100+ EPs |
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2014 | 2016 | 100+ EPs |
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10+ EPs |
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2015 | 2017 | 10+ EPs |
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2-9 and solo practitioners |
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2016 | 2018 | All groups and solo practitioners |
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* Eligible for an additional +1.0x if average beneficiary risk score is in the top 25% of all beneficiary risk scores +The value of “x” represents the adjustment factor still yet to be determined and depends on the total sum of negative adjustments in a given year.
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