Telligen, a Quality Innovation Network and Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), has been awarded a multi-state contract to assess physician practices serving Medicare patients in their progress toward healthcare quality improvement goals. These assessments, provided through the QIN-QIO Transitional Care Practice Initiative (TCPI), are especially important for physician practices as Medicare payments continue a transition from fee-for-service to performance-based measures.
“Supporting doctors and other healthcare professionals change the way they work is critical to improving quality and spending our healthcare dollars more wisely,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. “These awards will give patients more of the information they need to make informed decisions about their care and give clinicians access to information and support to improve care coordination and quality outcomes.”
The TCPI awards are designed to improve quality of care and population health at a local, primary care level. Telligen will work with more than 525 physician practices, eight Practice Transformation Networks, several Support Alignment Networks, and four QIN-QIOs in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland and Virginia to identify quality improvement opportunities and assess performance. TCPI partners will work together to position physician practices for success with the upcoming implementation of the Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and other Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial value-based payment systems. The TCPI awards extend through July 2019.
“We are very excited about this opportunity to work with providers and TCPI partners to improve patient care and population health through the alignment and integration of health information technology, clinical best practices, performance measurements, and intervention strategies,” said Telligen QIN-QIO Executive Director Pat Merryweather.