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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3.16.2012 Avoidance of Antibiotic Treatment for Adults With Acute Bronchitis (AAB) In the November 2011 release of the MY 2011 P4P specifications, Table AAB-E: Antibiotic Medications does not match exactly with Table AAB-D in the 2012 HEDIS volume. Is this an error?

There is an error in the manual. In Table AAB-E: Antibiotic Medications,

the first two rows, 5-aminosalicylates and Amebicides should not be in the table,

in the row Aminoglycosides the drug Neomycin should not be in the table,

in the row First generation cephalosporins, the drug Cephradine should not be in the table,

in the row Miscellaneous antibiotics the drug Vancomycin should be included in the table,

the row sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim DS should not be in the table,

in the row natural penicillins the drug Penicillin G benzathine should be included in the table,

in the row Third generation cephalosporins, the drugs Cefditoren and Cefpodoxime should be included in the table,

in the row Third generation cephalosporins, the drug Cefoperazone should not be in the table.

These errors will be corrected in the September 2012 release of the MY 2012 manual.

3.16.2012 Asthma Medication Ratio (AMR) Based on the MY 2010 P4P Crosswalk to HEDIS 2011 NDC List document, P4P Table AMR-C crosswalks to the HEDIS table ASM-C for the NDC list, but long-acting inhaled beta-2 agonists are no longer included in Table AMR-C. Should they be used in the Asthma Medication Ratio measure for P4P?

No. Do not include long-acting inhaled beta-2 agonists when calculating the Asthma Medication Ratio measure.

3.16.2012 Asthma Medication Ratio (AMR) In the November 2011 release of the MY 2011 P4P specifications, Table AMR-C: Asthma Medications does not match exactly with Table ASM-C in the 2012 HEDIS volume. Is this an error?

There is an error in the manual. In the Table AMR-C: Asthma Medications, in the row Inhaled steroid combinations the drug Bluticasone-salmeterol should read Fluticasone-salmeterol.

This error will be corrected in the September 2012 release of the MY 2012 manual.

3.16.2012 Proportion of Days Covered by Medications (PDC) In the November 2011 release of the MY2011 P4P specifications, the wording under Definitions and Eligible Population is confusing. The definition of the Index Prescription Date (IPD) states that the index date should occur at least 91 days before the end of the measurement period, but under Continuous Enrollment, the manual states that the IPD must occur at least 91 days prior to the end of the measurement year. Should we be looking back from the end of the measurement period or the end of the measurement year?

The Index Prescription Date (IPD) should occur at least 91 days before the end of the measurement period, as stated in the definition of IPD. The Continuous Enrollment section should refer to the measurement period, for both self-reporting POs and for health plans.

This error will be corrected in the September 2012 release of the MY 2012 manual.

3.15.2012 QI Work Plan Must the QI work plan address all the items listed under Work plan in the explanation to receive credit for QI 1, Element A, factor 9?

Yes. To receive credit for factor 9, the work plan must address all ten items listed Work Plan in the explanation.

3.15.2012 Practitioner participation in the QI program QI 2, Element A, factor 3 requires practitioner participation in the QI program. Is it enough for an organization to only include a medical director in planning, design, implementation and review of the QI program?

No. More than one practitioner must be involved in QI program activities. Participating practitioners must represent a broad spectrum of specialties, as appropriate.

3.15.2012 Analysis of complaint and appeal data May organizations analyze complaint data by the five specified complaint categories and analyze appeal data by the type of procedures appealed?

No. While the organization may have different complaints and appeal category for business purposes, it must analyze and report both complaint and appeal data by the five specified categories for NCQA purposes. Even if the organization has no complaints or appeals in one or more reporting categories, it must still demonstrate its analysis and report the number of complaints and appeals for all five categories.

3.15.2012 Demonstrating improvement Must an organization achieve significant improvement on identified opportunities to meet this element?

No. Data collection methodology must be sound enough to produce valid and reliable results but achievement of significant improvement is not required for QI 10 Element A.

3.15.2012 Assessment against access standards If the organization-level assessment shows that established goals and thresholds were not met for access to appointments, must there be an additional assessment at the practitioner level?

Yes. If performance issues are identified through organization-wide analysis, the organization must perform an analysis at the practitioner level to identify the cause. Practitioner-level assessment may include the total population or a statistically valid sample.

3.15.2012 Cultural preference If an organization only assesses language and gender and matches member and practitioner based on linguistic and gender data, is this acceptable for QI 4, Element A, factor 1?

No. Organizations must assess members cultural, racial, ethnic and linguistic needs then take actions based on its findings. Leaving out one or more of the required assessment areas would not meet the intent of the element.

2.16.2012 Meaningful Use of Heath IT (MUHIT) For MY 2011, what is the definition of Primary Care Providers (PCPs)? Does this include Pediatricians?

For MY 2011, POs should use their own designation of PCPs. This is in alignment with how P4P had defined PCPs for the IT-Enabled Systemness Domain.

2.16.2012 Meaningful Use of Heath IT (MUHIT) Page 115 of the manual was updated to state, POs must have functional EHRs in place 90 days before the end of the measurement year (i.e., the POs EHRs must be functional by October 1, 2011). Define functionality. Our organization has been using an EHR system for a number of years (before October 1, 2011), but we have a backlog in becoming fully functional, as defined in each measure. Do we receive credit for all of the measures?

No. For the MUHIT domain, functionality means a fully operational and implemented system that has been in use since October 1, 2011. An organization that has an EHR in place, but is not using it as defined in the measure intent statement, does not receive any points for that measure.