FAQ Directory: HEDIS

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11.15.2017 Use of Opioids at High Dosage In the HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update memo Table UOD-A includes a variable ranging from 4-12 for the MED Conversion Factor for methadone based on mg/day of methadone used. However, in the HEDIS 2018 NDC MLD Directory all NDCs for Methadone under the medication list "Opioid Medication" have a MED Conversion Factor (column M) of 3. For performing the MED calculation in UOD, which MED Conversion Factor should be used for methadone?

For HEDIS 2018 reporting, for methadone, the MED conversion factor of "3" should be used as listed in the NDC list; not the factors listed in Table UOD-A. We will reevaluate using the sliding scale conversion factors for HEDIS 2019.

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 Transitions of Care The HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update memo indicates the following change in the Transitions of Care specifications: In the first sentence of the third paragraph, replace “date/time” with “date.”
Should this change also apply to the first bullet in the “Note” section of the technical specifications that reads, “The following notations or examples of documentation do not count as numerator compliant:
*Documentation of notification that does not include a time frame or date/time stamp.”

Yes. Replace the reference to “date/time” in the first bullet in the Note section with “date.”

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 Reporting Requirements The HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update memo announced the retirement of “Annual Monitoring for Patients on Persistent Medications (MPM)” for Medicare and the name change from “Inpatient Hospital Utilization (IHU)” to “Acute Hospital Utilization (AHU).” This caused a discrepancy between the CMS Reporting Memo and HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Specifications. Will CMS release a clarification on what must be reported for HEDIS 2018 for Medicare?

Yes. CMS released a clarification on October 11, 2017, through HPMS, announcing that MPM was retired and is not required for HEDIS 2018 reporting; it also clarified that “Inpatient Hospital Utilization” is now “Acute Hospital Utilization” and should be reported as the updated measure. If you have additional questions, contact CMS at HEDISquestions@cms.hhs.gov.

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 Guidelines for Calculations and Sampling The footnote on page 45 of HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 indicates that the lowest Prior Year rate from “Prenatal and Postpartum Care” and “Frequency of Prenatal Care” should be used to reduce the sample size for PPC. Given that FPC was retired with the HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update, should the PPC MRSS use the lower rate of the Postpartum and Prenatal care indicators?

Yes. With the retirement of the FPC measure, organizations may reduce the sample size for the PPC measure using the lowest rate of the 2 indicators from the current year’s administrative rate or the prior year’s audited, product line-specific rate.

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 Weeks of Pregnancy at Time of Enrollment The HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update memo includes a RAND number for the “Weeks of Pregnancy at Time of Enrollment” measure. Is this correct?

No. “Weeks of Pregnancy at Time of Enrollment (WOP)” was retired in HEDIS 2017; the RAND number was inadvertently included in the HEDIS 2018 Volume 2 Technical Update memo.

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 Supplemental Data Is it acceptable to flag records in a supplemental data file as paid or denied when there is no payment attached to the records in the file?

No. It is not acceptable to classify a supplemental data source as paid or denied unless it is known whether the data in the data source were paid or denied. This is especially true when the data are being used for measures that require claims payment statuses (e.g. LBP, NCS). Organizations should not assume services were denied services just because there isn't a payment status associated with them. For measures where payment status is required, the auditor must be able to validate that the payment status is accurate.

HEDIS 2018

11.15.2017 General Guidelines General Guideline 17 says that "Members with dual commercial and Medicaid coverage must be reported in the commercial HEDIS reports. These members may be excluded from the Medicaid HEDIS reports." If a member has primary insurance in a Medicaid plan and secondary insurance in another Medicaid plan at any time during the measurement year, should the secondary Medicaid plan report the member in their HEDIS report?

To meet criteria for dual coverage, the member should have dual coverage at the end of the continuous enrollment period (dual coverage is assessed on a measure-by-measure basis). For example, if a measure's continuous enrollment period ends on December 31 of the MY and has dual Medicaid and commercial enrollment on that date, then the member may be excluded from the Medicaid HEDIS reports for the measure and only be reported in the commercial product line (General Guideline 23 in HEDIS 2018 Volume 2). In cases where the member is dually enrolled in two Medicaid plans, the secondary Medicaid payer would have the choice to exclude the member if the primary Medicaid coverage was offered through a different organization.

HEDIS 2018

10.15.2017 ECDS Are we required to collect and report the source vendor for the data e.g., by vendor)and source system of record (e.g., EHR, HIE, case management, claims) when reporting ECDS categories?

Details about the data vendor or source EHR system are not required for ECDS reporting, but should be documented in the HEDIS Roadmap when identifying data sources for an NCQA-Certified auditor. Use of data from NCQA eCQM-Certified vendors will ensure that measure data extracted from these systems are considered standard.
ECDS data should be categorized by one of the four source record categories stated in ECDS General Guideline 2: Data Collection Methods (EHR, HIE/clinical registry, case management registry, administrative claims).

HEDIS 2018

10.15.2017 ECDS If case management information resides solely within the plan and is not shared with the PCP, may it be used as a supplemental data source for the numerator?

Case management data that are available to the PCP on request meet the requirement for use in ECDS reporting.

Supplemental data may not be used for any part of an ECDS measure unless it meets all ECDS requirements.

HEDIS 2018

10.15.2017 ECDS May electronic data feeds from groups that include screenings be used if depression screening results are included?

Electronic data feeds are appropriate for ECDS reporting if they include the standard data required by the measure specifications (e.g., PHQ-9 total score, LOINC code for alcohol screening performed).
 All data sources used for ECDS reporting must be reviewed and approved by NCQA-Certified auditors to ensure they meet domain requirements.

HEDIS 2018

10.15.2017 ECDS Are there standard guidelines for how an auditor determines and approves an ECDS database and the amount of provider accessibility needed?

There are no specific ECDS guidelines for auditor approval of ECDS data sources. Data sources must meet the ECDS requirements and must be reputable—containing accurate, complete and reliable clinical data. Auditors use the same validation methods as for all other data sources. For example, for claims data, auditors validate the accuracy and completeness of the plan’s claims data. For a case management system, auditors review the system, the processes for capturing data and whether data can be extracted from the system. NCQA will add guidance to audit requirements as we learn more about data sources being used.

HEDIS 2018

10.15.2017 ECDS If case management data are used only by behavioral health-care providers (not by primary care providers), may these data be an ECDS data source?

Case management data may be used for measures using the ECDS reporting method if the information collected by case managers is available on request to all providers treating the same member in another setting. 
Data are not required to be accessed to qualify for ECDS reporting, but must be available on request to providers providing care to the member.

HEDIS 2018