FAQ Directory

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about NCQA’s various programs. If you don’t see what you are looking for in one of the entries below, you can  ask a question through My NCQA.

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11.16.2012 Care for Older Adults May a yes/no checklist be used for the advance care planning indicator?

If "yes" is checked, it may be counted as evidence that the member executed an advance care plan. If "no" is checked, evidence of an advance care planning discussion must be documented. A checklist does not count as evidence of a discussion.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
HEDIS 2013

11.16.2012 Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly When calculating the Average Daily Dose for medications in Table DAE-C, should organizations use rounding rules before comparing the dose to the specified threshold? How should organizations calculate average daily dose for elixirs and concentrates?

Organizations should not round when calculating average daily dose. To calculate average daily dose for elixirs and concentrates multiply the volume dispensed by dose and divide by days supply.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
HEDIS 2013

11.16.2012 Cardiovascular Monitoring for People With Cardiovascular Disease and Schizophrenia In the Volume 2 Technical Update, the Continuous Enrollment criteria were revised to read "the measurement year and the year prior to the measurement year." Should the Allowable Gap criteria also include the year prior to the measurement year?

Yes. Members should have no more than one gap in enrollment of up to 45 days during each year of continuous enrollment.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
HEDIS 2013

11.15.2012 Tools for readiness evaluations Is there a non-Web based tool available for our organization to use for self-assessment?

An organization can use the PDF version of the standards to assess readiness to undergo a survey, but in order to undergo a survey it must purchase and use the Web-based Interactive Survey System (ISS) Tool. To purchase the PDF version of the standards or the Survey Tool, visit the NCQA Web site (www.ncqa.org) or contact Customer Service at 888-275-7585.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PHQ 2013

11.15.2012 Automatic credit for NQF endorsed surveys Does an organization that uses the NQF-endorsed CAHPS-CG survey receive automatic credit? If not, what is the organizations accountability for confirming factors in the measurement methodology?

An organization does not receive automatic credit for using CAHPS-CG for an NCQA Survey. For Element C, the organization must follow the aspects of the survey methodology outlined in the endorsed specification, and must specify how it will address all other aspects of methodology required by the element.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

11.15.2012 Credit for Performance-Based Designation Programs as Quality measures Does use of Performance-Based Designation programs _ such as NCQA, BTE Recognition programs and Meaningful Use count as quality measures?

Yes, refer to Appendix 4: Performance-Based Designation Programs for the level of credit received for each program.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PHQ 2013

11.15.2012 Use of patient experience data collected from external organizations Is the use of patient experience data considered part of the program in the following circumstances: 1. The organization incorporates third-party performance information data with its own and then takes action on it (i.e., integrates the third-party data with its own to develop a composite that it reports or uses as the basis of action, such as payment or network or benefit design) 2. The organization provides a link for members on a third-party site so the member can review that information?

For scenario 1, the data must be considered as part of the program being reviewed for PHQ because the organization has incorporated the data with its own or tailored the data and then used the data as a basis for its own action (e.g., reporting, payment or network or benefit design). For scenario 2, if _ as part of its program _ the organization simply provides a link to an external source of performance information on physicians without altering that data and represents it as such, and the organization does not take any action based on the data (e.g., pay any incentive or use data for network or benefit design) then it is not considered part of the program.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PHQ 2013

11.15.2012 Practitioners from the Indian Health Service (IHS) If our state Exchange asks our organization to consider using IHS practitioners, how should we handle NCQA licensure requirements given that these practitioners may not have a license to practice in our state?

It depends on the relationship between the organization and the practitioners, and what the state licensing agency allows. If the organization contracts with the IHS and directs its members to Indian Health Clinics, there is no need to credential individual practitioners for NCQA purposes, and consequently, no need to verify practitioner licenses. The clinics would fall under CR 8 in the 2013 HP Standards and Guidelines.

However, if the organization has an independent relationship with practitioners in a clinic and directs its members to these practitioners for care, the organization must credential the practitioners. The organization must verify practitioner licenses if the state licensing agency does not recognize the IHS license as a proxy for state license. Conversely, if the state licensing agency recognizes the IHS license as a proxy for the state license, there is no need to verify practitioner licenses. The organization must provide documentation showing state acceptance of the IHS license, during its survey.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

11.15.2012 Eligibility for Case Management (CM) What organizations are eligible to pursue Case Management Accreditation?

NCQA considers entities that perform relevant functions to be eligible for NCQA CM Accreditation, including, but not limited to: CM organizations, population health management organizations, health plans (HP), managed behavioral healthcare organizations (MBHO), provider-based organizations– including medical groups, hospitals, integrated delivery systems, patient-centered medical homes (PCMH) and accountable care organizations (ACO), community care teams.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
CM 2014

11.15.2012 Automatic credit for Case Management (CM) If an organization is NCQA DM Accredited, what documentation does it need submit to receive automatic credit for CM 8: Rights and Responsibilities and CM 9: Privacy, Security and Confidentiality Procedures?

To receive automatic credit for CM 8: Rights and Responsibilities and CM 9: Privacy, Security and Confidentiality Procedures, NCQA DM Accredited organizations should attach a copy of your accreditation certificate in the Interactive Survey System (ISS) to the relevant standards and elements.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

11.15.2012 Differentiating Between Programs If an organization measures and takes action on both primary care and for specialty care practitioners where the methodology and actions are the same but the measures vary by specialty, is this one or more program?

In general, if an organization has a measure set in which a subset of the measures apply only to some specialties (broadly including primary care as a specialty), where the methodology and actions are the same (e.g. public reporting in the same manner regardless of specialty), NCQA treats that as one program. However, if there is more than one action (e.g. public reporting, P4P), we may count them as two programs (a public reporting program and P4P program).

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PHQ 2013

11.15.2012 Following Standardized Measure Specifications Does a program have to use the most recent version of a measure to count it as a standardized measure in Element A?

Yes. The organization must follow the most current measure specifications from the measure steward, even if the NQF endorsement has not been updated.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PHQ 2013