CMS Promoting Interoperability Programs: Updated eCQM Requirements for 2021

Learn More About the Updated eCQM Requirements for 2021

In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems (IPPS) for Acute Care Hospitals and the Long-term Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System Final Rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized updated electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) requirements for calendar year (CY) 2021.

In order to be considered a meaningful user and avoid a downward payment adjustment, eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program are required to:

• Submit two self-selected quarters of CY data.
• Report on four self-selected eCQMs from the set of nine available.
• Use the Quality Reporting Document Architecture Category I Implementation Guide, Schematrons, and Sample Files for hospital eCQM submissions to CMS.
• Review the eCQM Annual Update Pre-Publication Document for changes in the standards and code system versions used in the updated eCQMs.
• Use existing 2015 Edition certification criteria, the 2015 Edition Cures Update criteria, or a combination of the two in order to meet the certified electronic health record technology definition.

For More Information

To learn more about these and other requirements, please review the following resources:

• eCQM Basics webpage
• eCQI Resource Center
• Eligible Hospital and Critical Access Hospital eCQMs

For more information on the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, please visit the Promoting Interoperability Programs website.