[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 226 (Monday, November 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74729-74730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25694]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

[CMS-3406-N]


Medicare Program; Town Hall Meeting on Merit-Based Incentive 
Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathway (MVP) Implementation

AGENCY: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a virtual Town Hall meeting for CMS to 
share updates on the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value 
Pathway (MVP) policy considerations and for stakeholders to provide 
feedback on those MVP considerations for future implementation. 
Clinicians, professional organizations, third party vendors, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties are invited to this meeting 
to present their individual views on MVP design and implementation. The 
opinions and alternatives provided during this meeting will assist us 
as we evaluate our policies on essential components of the MVP 
framework, including, but not limited to, expanding reporting options 
to allow clinicians to form subgroups and report MVPs, MVP scoring 
policies, as well as other areas of MVP refinement. The meeting is open 
to the public, but registration is required, and attendance is limited. 
We encourage early registration to secure a spot.

DATES: 
    Meeting Date: The Town Hall meeting announced in this notice will 
be held on Thursday, January 7, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., eastern 
standard time (e.s.t.).
    Deadline for Posting MVP Topics: In December 2020, we will post 
information concerning the MVP topics to be discussed for the Town Hall 
on our website at https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library.
    Deadline to Indicate Desire to Provide Verbal Feedback During Town 
Hall Meeting: Registered participants may have the opportunity to 
provide verbal comments on the Town Hall agenda topics for a maximum of 
5 minutes or less per agenda session. Registered participants who would 
like to provide verbal feedback during the Town Hall are required to 
send an email to [email protected] no later than 11:59 p.m., 
e.s.t., Thursday, December 31, 2020, for the opportunity to secure a 
spot to provide verbal feedback during the meeting. The time available 
for registrants to provide verbal comments will depend on the number of 
registrants who are interested in offering verbal comments and we 
cannot guarantee that everyone who wishes to provide verbal feedback 
will have the opportunity to do so. We encourage interested parties to 
register early and send an email to the address noted above to indicate 
their interest in providing verbal comments for the agenda session(s) 
of their choice.
    In addition, we encourage interested parties to submit written 
comments on the agenda topics to be discussed in this Town Hall meeting 
and on future implementation of MVPs as described in the ``Deadline for 
Submission of Written Comments on the MVP Topics and Future 
Implementation'' section below by 11:59 p.m., e.s.t., Thursday, January 
14, 2021.
    Deadline for Submission of Written Comments on the MVP Topics and 
Future Implementation: All interested parties may submit written 
comments via email to [email protected] by 11:59 p.m., e.s.t., 
Thursday, January 14, 2021. Any interested party may send written 
comments about the policies CMS is considering for future rulemaking 
described below in this notice, in the MVP Town Hall materials posted 
at https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library, and in the Town Hall 
meeting.
    In addition, we encourage registered participants to consider 
providing verbal comments during the Town Hall meeting as described in 
the ``Deadline to Indicate Desire to Provide Verbal Feedback During 
Town Hall Meeting'' section above by 11:59 p.m., e.s.t., Thursday, 
December 31, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Registration website: The Town Hall meeting will be hosted 
virtually via webinar. Registration is limited to 1,000 participants. 
Participants must register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2414831410075391244. An open toll-free phone line will also be 
made available for participants to call into the Town Hall meeting. 
Information on the option to participate via webinar will be provided 
through an upcoming listserv notice and posted on the Quality Payment 
Program (QPP) website at https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library. 
You can sign up to receive QPP listservs at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USCMS/subscriber/qualify?commit=&topic_id=USCMS_12196. Continue to check the website for 
updates. You may send general inquiries about this meeting via email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on MVP Implementation

    In the CY 2020 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) proposed rule (84 FR 
40732 through 40745), we requested comments in a request for 
information (RFI) on issues related to the implementation of MVPs. As 
discussed in the CY 2020 PFS proposed rule (84 FR 40732), we had 
intended to apply the MVP framework in the 2021 MIPS performance 
period. However, due to the public health emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 
and to allow clinicians to focus on responding to the PHE, we announced 
that the initial implementation of MVPs would be delayed until at least 
the 2022 MIPS performance year and also limited our 2021 MIPS 
performance period MVP proposals to those necessary for the 
collaborative development of MVPs. After review and consideration of 
RFI comments, we proposed updates to the MVP guiding principles and the 
MVP development criteria and process in the CY 2021 PFS proposed rule 
(85 FR 50279 through 50284).
    We are holding this Town Hall meeting to engage interested parties 
on

[[Page 74730]]

policies that CMS is considering for the future design and 
implementation of MVPs that were not addressed in the CY 2021 PFS 
proposed rule. The feedback provided during this meeting will assist us 
in evaluating and developing MVP policies to be included in future 
rulemaking.

II. Town Hall Meeting Format and Conference Call/Webinar

A. Format of the Town Hall Meeting

    This Town Hall meeting will function as a discussion forum for 
interested parties to provide feedback on the future of MVP 
implementation. Therefore, we will post information concerning the MVP 
topics to be discussed, as specified in the DATES section of this 
notice at the website specified in the ADDRESSES section of this 
notice. Registrants are expected to check the website for updates and 
review the materials prior to the meeting. Registrants will receive an 
email notification once the materials are live on the website.
    The meeting will consist of morning and afternoon sessions, with 
distinct topics covered in each session. Proposed topics for discussion 
in each session are subject to change as priorities dictate. The 
following topics will be covered:
     An overview of the objectives of the meeting followed by a 
presentation of the topics to be discussed, including an overview of 
how groups can form subgroups and report MVPs as subgroups
     An overview of MVP design including, but not limited to 
MVP scoring policies, and measures and activities within MVPs.
     An opportunity for registered participants to provide 
feedback. Therefore, a portion of the meeting will be reserved for 
participants to ask questions and provide verbal comments on the Town 
Hall Agenda topics. Participants will be able to submit questions 
verbally and through an online chat box. Time for participants to 
provide feedback and ask questions will be limited based on the number 
of participants who want to provide verbal feedback and ask questions.

B. Conference Call and Webinar Information

    Registered participants interested in attending the Town Hall 
meeting will be able to view and participate in the Town Hall meeting 
via webinar. An open toll-free phone line will be made available. 
Information on the webinar will be provided through an upcoming 
listserv notice and posted on the Quality Payment Program website at 
https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library. Continue to check the 
website for updates.

III. Registration Instructions

    Ketchum, a CMS contractor, is coordinating meeting registration. 
While there is no registration fee, individuals planning to attend the 
Town Hall meeting must register to attend. Use the link in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice to register. You will receive a 
registration confirmation.
    A recording and transcript of the Town Hall meeting will be posted 
on https://qpp.cms.gov/about/resource-library following the event.
    The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
(CMS), Seema Verma, having reviewed and approved this document, 
authorizes Lynette Wilson, who is the Federal Register Liaison, to 
electronically sign this document for purposes of publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Dated: October 29, 2020.
Lynette Wilson,
Federal Register Liaison, Department of Health and Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2020-25694 Filed 11-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P