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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2.17.2015 Proportion of Days Covered by Medications (PDC) The DTX and PDC measures include a denominator exclusion for ESRD status. Does the status need to be “any time in the member's history,” or just during the measurement year?

Exclude members whose ESRD diagnosis is noted any time during the measurement year.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
IHA P4P

2.17.2015 Evidence Based Cervical Cancer Screening (ECS) The service date example in Rate 2, step 2 states, “If the service date for cervical cytology was November 27 of the measurement year, the HPV test must include a service date on or between December 1 and December 5 of the measurement year.” This does not align with the other service data examples in Rate 1 and Rate 3 of the Administrative Specifications. Should the service dates in Rate 2, step 2 align with the other examples?

Yes. The service date example in Rate 2, step 2 should align with the examples in Rate 1 and Rate 3. The dates were inadvertently switched in the Rate 2 example and should state:

“For example, if the service date for cervical cytology was December 1 of the measurement year, the HPV test must include a service date on or between November 27 and December 5 of the measurement year.”

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
IHA P4P

2.15.2015 Meeting factor 3 if organization accepts “any willing provider” Our organization accepts “any willing provider” and does not use practitioner-selection criteria related to quality, member experience or cost-related measures. How can we receive credit for QI 12, Element A, factor 3?

To receive credit, the organization’s directory must state that the organization does not use quality, member experience or cost-related measures when selecting practitioners to participate in its Marketplace Silver Plan.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Use of credentialing and recredentialing verification to meet factor 3 For QI 12, Element A, factor 3, do verification activities conducted during the initial credentialing and recredentialing process count as quality measures?

CR 3–CR 6, credentialing verification activities do not count as quality measures for QI 12, Elements A and B. However, an organization may receive credit if its credentialing process incorporates clinical quality measures from NCQA (or other accreditors), the National Quality Forum (NQF), national medical boards (ABMS or AOA) or other quality measurement development sources. The organization may also incorporate member experience and cost-related measures into the credentialing process.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Meeting factor 3 for Marketplace POS products Our organization provides a point-of-service (POS) product, where members may access out-of-network services without requesting authorization or obtaining a referral. Are we required to meet QI 12, Element C, factor 3?

The intent of QI 12, Element C, factor 3 is that the organization collects data to understand how out-of-network services are used, whether or not members must make a formal request to use them. Therefore, NCQA considers “request for” and “use of” to be interchangeable terms. For POS products where members are not required to obtain authorization, the organization may use claims data, UM data (e.g., post-service request) or similar data.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Negative inferences of stating quality, experience or cost is not measured for practitioners and hospitials For QI 12, Element A, factor 3 and Element B, factor 2, did NCQA consider the negative inference of requiring an organization to state that it does not use quality, member experience or cost-related measures when selecting practitioners or hospitals to participate in its network?

Yes. The intent of this requirement is to provide consumers with quality information about Marketplace Silver Plans in order to help them make a better informed choice during enrollment. Therefore, organizations to be transparent about whether they used quality, member experience or cost-related measures when selecting practitioners or hospitals to participate in its networks.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Meeting factor 3 for organizations with a single network for Marketplace and non-Marketplace product lines If an organization has a single network for Marketplace and non-Marketplace product lines and has a single practitioner directory that does not delineate practitioners by product line, for QI 12, Element A, factor 3, must the practitioner directory state that the organization does not use quality, member experience or cost-related measures when selecting practitioners?

Yes. QI 12, Element A applies even if all practitioners are available to all product lines. To receive credit, the organization’s directory must state that the organization does not use quality, member experience or cost-related measures when selecting practitioners to participate in its Marketplace Silver Plan.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Meeting factor 3 for staff and group model health plans Does QI 12, Element A, factor 3 apply to organizations that contract exclusively with a staff model or group model as an identical network for all product lines?

No, factor 3 does not apply. Organizations must provide documentation that they contract only with these types of networks and do not limit access to any practitioners for the Marketplace Silver Plan.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Web site linking requirement to meet factor 4 To meet RR 4, Element E, factor 4, are organizations required to link to specific hospital data or may they link to the general quality data landing page on a recognized source Web site?

The hospital directory must contain quality data from recognized national or state sources, or a link to recognized-source quality data specific to each hospital, if the link exists. If linking to the data is not technically possible (e.g., because of a requirement to accept terms of agreement), a link to the quality data landing page is acceptable. A link to the source’s general Web site home page does not meet the requirement.
 
 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

2.15.2015 Data that meets annual data collection and analysis requirements If an organization is surveyed less than a year after beginning operations, how does it meet elements that require annual data collection and analysis?

NCQA does not require the organization to collect and analyze a full year of data. For First Surveys, the look-back period is “at least once within the past year” for elements requiring annual data collection and analysis. The requirement is met if an organization collects and analyzes the data within a year of submitting the Survey Tool.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:

1.29.2015 Meaningful Use of Health IT What must POs report for e-measures, and how are these measures reported? Which providers should be included in reporting for the two e-measures?

The MUHIT domain comprises three rates, the first is the percent of providers who have attested to the national or state Meaningful Use EHR Incentive programs, and the second two are e-measures. To receive credit, POs must report:

  • A .csv file with a list of the PO’s providers’ national provider identifiers (NPIs). Instructions on file requirements were sent on January 7, 2015, and were discussed on the January 14–15 Webinars.
  • The two e-measures, Controlling High Blood Pressure and Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan.
    • For self-reporting POs, these measures are reported via the PO Clinical File Layout (http://iha.org/manuals_operations_2014.html). There is a separate file layout provided for non-self-reporting PO submission.
    • For each measure, two metrics are collected:
      • The percentage of providers who can report the e-measure.
      • The aggregated numerator and denominator, for providers who can report the e-measure.

To calculate, pull the numerators and denominators from the EHR systems of all providers who can report the measures; specifications are programmed in the certified EHR systems of providers who can report. Refer to pp 150–152 of the MY 2014 P4P Manual, released December 1, 2014.

You should use the same definition of PCP as outlined in the NPI data file specification instructions. Providers in your denominator should include employed and contracted PCPs (MD or DO) in the following specialties: Family/General Practice, Internal Medicine and Pediatrician/Adolescent Medicine. As with the NPI file submission, POs have the option of excluding providers who were with the PO for less than six months of the measurement year. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
IHA P4P

1.29.2015 Childhood Immunization Status, 24 month Continuous Enrollment (CIS) The specifications for Childhood Immunization Status, 24-Month Continuous Enrollment list Combination 3 and Combination 7. The MY 2014 Measure Set document, posted on January 12, 2015, lists (http://iha.org/pdfs_documents/p4p_california/MY-2014-Measure-Set-20150112.pdf), only Combination 3. Which combinations should be reported?

Report only Combination 3. Combination 7 was listed in the manual in error and should not be reported. Per the MY 2014 Measure Set, only Combination 3 will be reported for this measure. The correction will be reflected in the PO and Health Plan Clinical Measure File. Note: Combination 3 and Combination 7 are reported for CIS, 12-Month Continuous Enrollment.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
IHA P4P