Speech-Language Pathology and the Physician Quality Reporting System
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting System is a voluntary incentive payment program for eligible health care professionals. It is designed to support improvements in quality of care to Medicare beneficiaries through the tracking of practice patterns. Private practice speech-language pathologists who provide services to adult stroke patients covered under Medicare Part B are now eligible to receive an incentive payment at the end of the year for reporting on the approved quality measures.
Eight of ASHA's adult NOMS Functional Communication Measures (FCM) have been classified as quality measures, and we are now approved by CMS as a registry through which eligible SLPs can report on these measures. The approved FCMs include spoken language comprehension, spoken language expression, motor speech, writing, reading, attention, memory and swallowing. We are currently seeking new and existing NOMS participants to take part in the Physician Quality Reporting System. As an official registry, ASHA will submit NOMS data on your behalf to CMS. To be eligible for the end of year incentive payment, you must meet the following program requirements:
- Provide speech-language pathology services in a private practice setting to adult stroke patients covered under Medicare Part B
- Bill for services under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
- Have a National Provider Identifier (NPI), as assigned by CMS
- Have an associated Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)
- Collect and submit NOMS data on three or more quality measures for at least 80% of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries in the reporting period.
Eligible SLPs who wish to participate in the Physician Quality Reporting program should complete the online registration form.
To find out more about NOMS and the Physican Quality Reporting System, please view the frequently asked questions or contact Tobi Frymark at tfrymark@asha.org or Floyd Roye at froye@asha.org.