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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5.15.2012 Appeal notices in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner What does NCQA look for in an appeal notification that meets the "culturally and linguistically appropriate manner" requirement?

"Culturally and linguistically" appropriate refers to the organization providing notices of the appeal process to non-English-speaking members, in languages appropriate to members.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

5.15.2012 Verification of certification for an unrecognized board Does NCQA only accept ABMS and AOA sponsored boards as verification sources? What does NCQA require for verification of boards from non-ABMS or non-AOA boards if the practitioner claims to be board certified?

No. With the exception of ABMS or AOA sponsored boards, NCQA requires organizations to determine and list specialty boards they accept within their credentialing policies and procedures. At a minimum, at least annually, organizations must obtain written confirmation from the specialty board that it performs primary-source verification of education and training. A specialty board that provides annual written confirmation that it conducts primary source verification of education and training can be used as an acceptable source for verification of education and training if the organization names the specialty board in its policies and procedures.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

5.15.2012 Clinical quality measures across programs May organizations use the same clinical quality measure for each program brought forward for accreditation?

Yes. Organizations may use the same clinical quality measure for each program if the measure is relevant to each program's population. Each program's population must be measured separately.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

5.15.2012 Collecting feedback from program participants Is an organization required to collect feedback from all programs and all program participants, or may the organization choose from whom to collect feedback?

Organizations must include all programs or population segments to assess for WHP 9, Element A.

Data collection must be across all programs and include eligible participants. If an organization uses a sample, the sample must be randomized to give all eligible participants an equal chance of being included.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

5.15.2012 Remove notice of new appeal reviewer from the denial letter For UM 7, Elements D and G, factor 2, must the explanation of the appeal process include notice that a new, nonsubordinate reviewer will be appointed?

No. The denial notice does not need to include notification that a new, nonsubordinate reviewer will be appointed; however, the organization must include this requirement in its appeal policies and procedures to meet UM 8, Elements B and C, factor 5, and include it in applicable appeal files to meet UM 9, Element C.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

4.16.2012 Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology (MUHIT) In the November 2011 release of the MY2011 P4P Manual, the examples for scoring of the MUHIT domain in the Description and Domain Structure sections (pp 114 and 115) seem to have incorrect calculations. Is this an error?

Yes. The example on page 114 should read as follows:

100 out of 100 PCPs meet the criteria = 100%

_ 5 points for certified and 3.75 for non-certified

25 of 100 certified = ((25% * 5) = 1.25)

75 of 100 non-certified = ((75% * 3.75) = 2.81)

Total points = ((1.25+ 2.81) = 4.06)

The example on page 115, in the Point allocation for POs using ONC-ATCB certified software section, should read as follows:

For example, if a PO earned 60 points, its overall calculated P4P score would be 18. Scores are rounded to the nearest whole number.

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

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

4.16.2012 Proportion of Days Covered by Medications (PDC) The Eligible Population criteria state that continuous enrollment for PDC is the index prescription date (IPD) through the end of the measurement year or until death or disenrollment, and that there is no allowable gap. Are members with two separate enrollment periods that meet the 90 day requirement excluded because of the gap in enrollment, or are they counted as two separate measurement periods?

Because there are no allowable gaps in this measure, exclude members who were not continuously enrolled, including members who had more than one 90+ day measurement period.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

4.16.2012 Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain (LBP) In the November 2011 release of the MY2011 P4P Manual, the table LBP-D contains an invalid CPT code, 72011. Is this an error?

Yes. The first CPT code in the table should be 72010. This error will be corrected in the September 2012 release of the MY 2012 manual.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

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.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

3.16.2012 Breast Cancer Screening (BCS) On the Clinical Measure file layout the BCS measure is listed as Breast Cancer Screening: Ages 52-69 but the measure description indicates that it is for ages 50 _ 69. Is there an error in the Clinical Measure file layout?

The Clinical Measure file layout is correct. The age band is described as starting at age 52 to account for the two year look-back period for this measure.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

3.16.2012 Chlamydia Screening in Women (CHL) In the November 2011 release of the MY 2011 P4P specifications, Table CHL-A: Prescriptions to Identify Contraceptives does not match exactly with Table CHL-A in the 2012 HEDIS volume. Is this an error?

There is an error in the manual. In Table CHL-A: Prescriptions to Identify Contraceptives,

in the row Contraceptives, the drugs Estradiol-medroxyprogesterone, Levonorgestrel, Medroxyprogesterone, and Norethindrone should be included in the table,

the drug Levonorgestrel-medroxyprogesterone should not be in the table.

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

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

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.

This applies to the following Programs and Years: