Athletico Physical Therapy, a leading provider of physical and occupational therapy services, voluntarily participated in the 2021 CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP), resulting in its therapists achieving a top-tier ranking among all U.S. providers under the nation’s leading quality of care measurement program. The QPP is part of Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which is designed to tie healthcare payments to high quality and cost-efficient care, and is the only national benchmark for medical specialties including physical and occupational therapy services.

For the third consecutive year, Athletico therapists voluntarily elected to report all patient evaluation and reevaluation data across all clinic locations as an opportunity to demonstrate the high-quality care they provide and excellence in patient outcomes. MIPS performance is evaluated on a 100-point scale, with exceptional performance in 2021 defined by scores at or above 85 points. In 2021, Athletico therapists achieved the highest possible scores in the Exceptional Performance Category across its network of over 600 clinics open during the data collection period.

“Athletico therapists’ voluntary participation in this program underscores our ongoing commitment to delivering the highest quality care, service and value to our patients, payers and partners,” said Chris Throckmorton, President and CEO of Athletico. “Our 2021 performance reflects the overwhelmingly positive feedback we receive from our patients that validates the work our therapists do to improve health and well-being in the communities we serve. We are proud to continue to be recognized by a program that sets the national benchmark for advancing clinical excellence and patient outcomes in our industry.”

Brian Kelly, Vice President of Clinical Systems at Athletico, added: “Each year, we choose to participate in this program because we believe in the quality of care our therapists provide and the cost benefits it brings to patients, as well as the physical and occupational therapy professions. Our market-leading scores are a true testament to the time, effort, and focus our therapists place on providing exceptional care and improving our patients’ overall health and quality of life.”

The Quality Payment Program rewards providers for creating value, achieving excellence in clinical outcomes, improving population health, reducing costs and empowering patients to take an active role in their care process. This cost-neutral program rewards clinicians who promote value and high-quality care, while simultaneously reducing payments to clinicians who fail to meet the program’s rigorous standards. Individuals and organizations who score in the Exceptional Performance Category are designated as top-tier providers and in addition to an incentive payment, they will be awarded a bonus on every covered Medicare Part B payment received in 2023. These adjustments are paid by Medicare and do not impact an individual’s cost of care, meaning that patients gain the benefit of receiving care from one of the highest performing organizations in the country without having to pay more for the services they receive.

[Source(s): Athletico Physical Therapy, PR Newswire]