Error with hypertension code for PQRS

CMS has recently realized that claims submitted for the 2012 Physician Quality Reporting System Measure #235, “Hypertension: Plan of Care” are being rejected or denied.

Due to a CMS error, the G-codes for this claims/registry measure are not being accepted. The codes (G8675, G8676, G8677, G8678, G8679, G8680, and 4050F) will be reactivated in April 2012. Until then, CMS is recommending that physicians who planned to report this measure on their claims either consider reporting alternate measures in place of it or reporting the measure for more than 50% of their eligible visits for the remainder of the year to ensure their average for the year is above the 50% needed to qualify. ACP has recommended to CMS that it first attempt to correct the claims to capture the submitted G-codes before asking physicians to overreport or use alternate measures.