ASCs Without Confirmed Access to ASCQR Program Portal Must Submit New Form

ASCs that fail to report their ASC Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program data by May 17, 2021, are subject to a 2 percent cut to their fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare reimbursements for the following year, but at least 1,000 ASCs still have not reported their data. Many still need to complete the preliminary steps to be able to file their reports. Do you know where your ASC is in this process?

First, your facility must have an active registered HCQIS Access Roles and Profile (HARP) account (either a Basic User or a Security Official) to enter data using the Web-Based Data Submission Tool on the Hospital Quality Reporting website. If your facility has no such active accounts, it will be necessary to create one.

Once you have a HARP account, you can register to be your ASC’s Security Official (SO). Security Official is the new name for Security Administrator—the responsibilities have not changed, just the name.

On April 20, ASCs were informed that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new Access Request Form for Ambulatory Surgical Centers in the Hospital Quality Reporting system portal. Individuals must request SO access through the Access Request Form, which replaced the Electronic Access Request (EAR). Please note: If you started the process filling out the EAR but have not yet received access to report, you must fill out this new form.

In addition, the SO cannot self-authorize. You must provide a phone number and email address for an individual with the highest authority at your facility. That person will then receive a phone call from Identity Access Management (IAM) from QualityNet. Select an individual who is readily accessible and notify them that this communication is coming. Once IAM has confirmed with that individual that access should be granted to the SO, the request will be approved and you will receive a confirmation email.

While ASCA is strongly advocating for CMS to provide some reprieve to ASCs, we advise all facilities that plan to submit quality data this year but have not yet registered to do so immediately to ensure your FFS Medicare payments are not penalized in 2022.

Please read our Digital Debut pieces, ASCQR Deadline Looms Large and Input Your Quality Data Correctly, for more information.

If you need assistance, please call the QualityNet Help Desk at 866.288.8912 or contact ASCQR Program support through the Quality Question and Answer Tool.