The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released the updated measures specifications for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) for the 2013 reporting year, which include changes to 3 measures of importance to physical therapists—Body Mass Index Screening (#128), Pain Assessment (#131), and Functional Outcome Assessment (#182). The measure specifications provide program participants with important information such as the measure definition, reporting instructions, and the qualifying case information (numerator and denomination definitions), which include the relevant quality data codes for reporting.

Practitioners also should note that additional quality data codes have been added to measures #128 and #131. CMS has made changes to the definition of an existing quality data code for measure #182. 

• Measure #128, the Body Mass Index Screening measure, has a new quality data code G8938: BMI calculated, patient not eligible/not appropriate for follow-up plan.
• Measure #131, the Pain Assessment and Follow-up measure, has a new quality data code G8939: pain assessment documented, follow-up plan not documented, patient not eligible/appropriate. 
• Measure #182, the Functional Outcome Assessment measure, has an additional definition for quality data code G8942, which now is reported to reflect functional outcome assessment documented, no functional deficiencies identified, care plan not required, or functional outcome assessment and care plan documented in the previous 30 days.

Physical therapists who currently are participating or plan to participate in the Calendar Year 2013 PQRS program are strongly encouraged to review the 2013 measures specifications for those measures that they are planning to report in 2013. APTA will revise all podcasts for those measures with changes in 2013.

See the new 2013 measures specifications for further details located on APTA's PQRS webpage under the "2013 PQRS Measure Details" section.