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.

Filter Results
  • Save
    Save your favorite pages and receive notifications whenever they’re updated. You will be prompted to log in to your NCQA account.
  • Email
    Share this page with a friend or colleague by Email. We do not share your information with third parties.
  • Print
    Print this page.
expand all

7.16.2018 Use of Opioids at High Dosage Why is buprenorphine included in the Use of Opioids From Multiple Providers (UOP) and Risk of Continued Opioid Use (COU) measures, but not in the Use of Opioids at High Dosage (UOD) measure?

Unlike UOP and COU, UOD requires the conversion of all dispensed opioids into morphine milligram equivalents (MME). The most current MME conversion file, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, removes buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, and states that the drug is not likely to be associated with overdose in the same dose-dependent manner as pure opioid agonists. NCQA removed it from the UOD measure in HEDIS 2019. This change aligns with the decision made by the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, the organization that developed the measure from which UOD was adapted for use in HEDIS.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
HEDIS 2019

7.15.2018 Medical necessity review for personal care services Does NCQA require medical necessity review for personal care services, such as cooking, cleaning and transportation?

No. Medical necessity review is not required for personal care services and other activities of daily living in UM 4–UM 7. However, if these services are covered benefits, any denial decision may be appealed and is included in the scope of appeal file review for UM 9.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
HP 2018|UM-CR-PN 2018

7.09.2018 KM 08 (Pediatric Specific) Are there health literacy training programs tailored to pediatric practices?

No, but health literacy training programs are only a suggested approach for addressing communication needs and reducing barriers for patients and their families to access and understand health and safety information.

  • AAP resources: 
           – AAP Pedialink course on health literacy: https://shop.aap.org/health-literacy/  
  • Other resources:
HRSA: Culture, Language, and Health Literacy Tools & Resources: https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/resources/index.html  

 

 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 AC 06 (Pediatric Specific)` If a pediatrician sees more than one child from the same family during one visit, does this meet the requirement for an alternative clinical encounter?

No. Shared appointments would not meet the requirement. Alternative appointments need to be offered through telephone or other technology-supported mechanisms.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 02F (Pediatric Specific) How do clinicians assess the pediatric patient's ability to interact with other kids in a normal fashion? If the child is functioning normally in school would that suffice?

A social-emotional screening tool would be the best route to assess this, and the recommendation is for that screening to be done on a regular basis.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 CM 08 (Pediatric Specific) Does the asthma action plan count as a self-management tool for pediatric patients?

If the asthma action plan enables patients to track/monitor their progress and document health information at home using a form or some other method of documentation with helpful instructions for self-management, then it would be acceptable.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 12B (Pediatric Specific) Do Tdap and DTaP count as two different immunizations?

No. Although the immunizations are different formulations, Tdap and DTaP are integrally related. For this reason, NCQA considers them the same immunization for different age groups and does not accept them as two different immunizations.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 QI 01 (Pediatric Specific) Can a practice use the CHIPRA Initial Core Set of Children’s Health Care Quality Measures?

Yes. Measures from the CHIPRA Initial Core Set meet the requirements.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 09 (Pediatric Specific) The examples provided in the guidance section for this criterion aren’t typical characteristics for pediatric practices (e.g. gender identify, sexual orientation, occupation, etc.). What other options can a pediatric population use for its third aspect of diversity?

Identifying children with Medicaid insurance would meet the intent of this criterion, as this identifies a population that could be at risk or require additional attention or care management. Other areas of diversity could include homelessness, immigrant status, living in a rural or urban environment, family employment status, family socioeconomic status, families with a single parent, etc. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 12A (Pediatric Specific) Other than well-child visits, provide some examples of preventative care services that qualify for outreach in a pediatric population

For younger children, practices may also identify patients and provide outreach for services for developmental screenings, autism screening, oral health risk assessment, Hematocrit or Hemoglobin screening, iron supplements for children ages 6 to 12 months at risk for anemia, or tuberculin testing for children at higher risk for tuberculosis  

For adolescent patients, other preventive care services could also include (but not limited to) patients in need of specific preventive care-related lab tests, alcohol and drug screening, cervical dysplasia screening for sexually active females, sexually transmitted infection prevention counseling for adolescents at higher risk, obesity screening and counseling, HIV screening for adolescents at higher risk or other required screenings (e.g., chlamydia, depression, dyslipidemia at specific ages).
 

AAP resources: 

 
– 
 
 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 12D (Pediatric Specific) Why would our practice recall pediatric patients, if not for preventive care, immunizations or acute/chronic care services? Give pediatric-specific examples.

KM 12 categories A-C refer to needed services and are intended for routine, proactive reminders.
  

Category D addresses patients who miss routine visits, annual exams or follow-up appointments and need to be reminded to visit the practice for services. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 02G (Pediatric Specific) What are some examples of social determinants of health for children?

Social determinants of health include things like poverty, food insecurity, poor housing quality or homelessness, unstable neighborhoods, and parental dysfunction (e.g., domestic violence, mental illness, etc.).

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017