Pathologists Quality Registry Earns 2020 Approval to Improve Pathology Practice Performance, Optimize Medicare Payment

WASHINGTON, DC — The Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) again approved the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Pathologists Quality Registry as a qualified clinical data registry offering pathology practices a robust tool for complying with requirements under Medicare’s Quality Payment Program and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

To support pathologists, the Pathologists Quality Registry offers pathology-specific quality measures and the demonstrated ability to integrate with a practices’ laboratory information system or billing system for automated and simplified data collection. The registry offers pathologists the ability to choose from 30 quality reporting measures, most of which are exclusively available in the CAP’s Pathologists Quality Registry. In addition to the CAP’s dedicated staff of MIPS experts who guide you through the registry enrollment process, the Pathologists Quality Registry reduces pathologists’ burdens for MIPS by consolidating Quality and Improvement Activities reporting and providing real-time performance benchmark reports.

“Quality is at the center of what we do at the CAP,” said CAP President Patrick Godbey, MD, FCAP. “We developed the Pathologists Quality Registry to ensure that pathologists have the best qualified clinical data registry for demonstrating their value in the MIPS program as it evolves, as well as for continuous quality improvement at their practices. Our registry optimizes your opportunity to get paid for the value you provide to Medicare patients. Our experts at the CAP ensure each participating pathologist in the Pathologists Quality Registry utilizes the best quality measures and reporting methods to fit their practice. As a result, we’ve had great success with now more than 1,000 pathologists currently using the registry to qualify for incentives.” 

As the CMS continues to move away from claims-based reporting for MIPS, it no longer allows practices of 16 or more pathologists to report quality measures on claims via a billing company. The Pathologists Quality Registry supports larger practices for their MIPS reporting and helps subspecialties, who may find it difficult to identify enough relevant quality measures for MIPS reporting, to maximize Medicare incentive payments. The CAP’s registry also supports smaller practices by providing multiple ways to submit quality data and by helping them demonstrate that some measures do not apply to their practice. By submitting data for the 2020 reporting period, MIPS eligible pathologists can avoid a 9% negative payment adjustment and potentially be eligible for a positive payment adjustment in Medicare Part B reimbursement in 2022.

As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. As a 501(c)(6) membership organization, the CAP is the only entity representing pathologists with unrestricted advocacy capability and a political action committee, PathPAC. For more information, visit yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care. Read the CAP Annual Report at cap.org.