The Acmeware Blog

Regulatory updates, Data Repository best practices, and healthcare IT insights from the team that built it.

Understanding the MIPS Complex Patient Bonus

The MIPS Complex Patient Bonus awards up to 10 points based on medical complexity (HCC scores) and social risk (dual eligibility ratio).

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Optimize Your MIPS Cost Category Score

The MIPS Cost category accounts for 30% of your score in 2024. Learn strategies to optimize performance across 29 cost measures.

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All Articles

2027 IPPS Final Rule

April 28, 2026

CMS published proposed changes to Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting and Medicare Promoting Interoperability programs for FY 2027.

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Understanding the MIPS Complex Patient Bonus

November 25, 2024

The MIPS Complex Patient Bonus awards up to 10 points based on medical complexity (HCC scores) and social risk (dual eligibility ratio).

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Optimize Your MIPS Cost Category Score

November 19, 2024

The MIPS Cost category accounts for 30% of your score in 2024. Learn strategies to optimize performance across 29 cost measures.

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Navigating Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Reporting

December 11, 2023

AUR reporting becomes mandatory for CY 2024 Promoting Interoperability. This guide covers NHSN registration, MEDITECH build, and mapping.

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2024 QPP Final Rule

November 22, 2023

CMS kept the MIPS threshold at 75 points, finalized five new cost measures, 16 MVPs, and expanded PI requirements in the 2024 QPP Final Rule.

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2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule

November 10, 2025

CMS finalized six new MVPs, 190 quality measures, PI security changes, a new AI safety improvement activity, and eCR suppression for the 2026 QPP.

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2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule

July 24, 2025

CMS proposed six new MVPs, 190 quality measures, a continued 75-point threshold, and PI changes including TEFCA bonus and eCR suppression for 2026.

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2024 OPPS Final Rule

December 1, 2023

CMS finalized two new OQR measures and modified three, while notably retaining the Left Without Being Seen measure due to worsening LWBS rates.

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2026 OPPS Final Rule

November 26, 2025

CMS finalized the Emergency Care Access eCQM replacing two ED measures, removed four measures, and extended voluntary CT radiation eCQM reporting.

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2026 IPF PPS Final Rule

August 8, 2025

CMS finalized removing four IPFQR measures, extending the ED Visit measure to a 2-year period, and adjusting the ECE policy to 60 days.

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2026 IPPS Final Rule

August 8, 2025

CMS finalized removing four measures, reinstating COVID-19 patients in outcome measures, and updating PI security and SAFER Guides requirements.

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2026 OPPS Proposed Rule

July 24, 2025

CMS proposed the Emergency Care Access eCQM, removal of five measures including COVID-19 HCP and SDOH, and extended CT radiation voluntary reporting.

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2026 IPF PPS Proposed Rule

April 30, 2025

CMS proposed removing four IPFQR measures, extending the ED Visit measure to a 2-year period, and solicited feedback on a future IPF star rating system.

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2026 IPPS Proposed Rule

April 23, 2025

CMS proposed removing four measures including COVID-19 HCP and SDOH, modifying stroke and THA/TKA measures, and updating PI security requirements.

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2024 QPP Proposed Rule

August 7, 2023

CMS proposed an 82-point threshold, five new MVPs, five new cost measures, and expanded PI requirements for the 2024 QPP.

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2024 IPPS Final Rule

August 15, 2023

CMS finalized three new eCQMs, measure modifications and removals, and mandatory SAFER Guides attestation in the FY 2024 IPPS Final Rule.

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2024 IPF PPS Final Rule

August 11, 2023

CMS finalized three health equity measures, a patient experience measure, two removals, and a voluntary validation pilot for the IPFQR Program.

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2024 OPPS Proposed Rule

August 3, 2023

CMS proposed three new OQR measures including a patient-reported outcomes measure, modified three existing measures, and proposed removing LWBS.

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2024 IPPS Proposed Rule

April 26, 2023

CMS proposed three new eCQMs, three measure modifications, three removals, and mandatory SAFER Guides attestation in the FY 2024 IPPS Proposed Rule.

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2024 IPF PPS Proposed Rule

April 19, 2023

CMS proposed three health equity measures, a patient experience measure, two measure removals, and a validation pilot for the IPFQR Program.

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Palliative Care vs. Hospice Care

March 20, 2023

Understanding the difference between palliative care and hospice care is essential for accurate quality reporting and eCQM denominator exclusions.

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New Requirements to Reduce Health Care Disparities

March 20, 2023

Effective January 2023, Joint Commission accredited organizations must meet new requirements addressing health care disparities as a quality priority.

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2023 OPPS Final Rule

November 29, 2022

CMS finalized OP-31 as voluntary, aligned chart-abstracted timing with calendar years, and added new validation targeting criteria.

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2023 QPP Final Rule

November 16, 2022

CMS finalized five new MVPs, a 75-point threshold with no exceptional performance bonus, and PI changes including required PDMP query.

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SAFER Guides-Contingency Planning

November 16, 2022

CMS now requires SAFER Guides attestation for Promoting Interoperability. Learn why EHR contingency planning is critical for patient safety.

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Quality

2022 Quality Reporting Requirements for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities

September 12, 2022

A comprehensive guide to CY 2022 IPFQR chart-abstracted measures, claims-based measures, and Joint Commission reporting requirements.

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2023 IPF PPS Final Rule

September 1, 2022

CMS finalized a 2.5% IPF payment increase with no changes to the IPFQR Program and solicited feedback on health equity disparities.

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2023 IPPS Final Rule

August 10, 2022

CMS finalized ten new IQR measures, expanded eCQM requirements, and restructured PI scoring in the FY 2023 IPPS Final Rule.

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2023 OPPS Proposed Rule

July 26, 2022

CMS proposed keeping OP-31 voluntary, aligning chart-abstracted measure timing with calendar years, and new validation targeting criteria.

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2023 QPP Proposed Rule

July 20, 2022

CMS proposed five new MVPs, a 75-point threshold, nine new quality measures, and PI changes including required PDMP query for the 2023 QPP.

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2023 IPPS Proposed Rule

June 6, 2022

CMS proposed ten new IQR measures, increased eCQM requirements, and significant PI scoring changes in the FY 2023 IPPS Proposed Rule.

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Electronic Case Reporting

February 9, 2022

Electronic Case Reporting automates real-time sharing of reportable condition data between EHR systems and public health agencies.

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The Importance of Mapping for Quality

November 8, 2023

Incorrect MEDITECH data mapping can silently reduce your eCQM scores. Learn how to validate mapping annually to protect quality performance.

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2027 IPF PPS Final Rule

April 28, 2026

CMS published proposed changes to the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting program, including measure removals and a new patient assessment instrument.

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Data Repository

The Importance of Data Governance

August 26, 2024

Healthcare data governance establishes policies for data quality, security, and consistent use that support better clinical and strategic decisions.

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EHR Downtime Insights

April 1, 2024

MEDITECH community survey data reveals that 32% of hospitals experienced 12+ hour downtimes, underscoring the need for robust preparedness.

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Why Power BI is the Best Reporting Platform for DR - Part 2

March 7, 2024

Part 2 explores how Power BI's cached data model and dynamic visualizations deliver a superior end-user analytics experience over SSRS.

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Why Power BI is the Best Reporting Platform for DR

January 17, 2024

Part 1 of a two-part series examining why Power BI outperforms SQL Server Reporting Services for MEDITECH Data Repository analytics.

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Nonclustered Indexes in Data Repository

July 19, 2023

A practical guide to creating nonclustered indexes in Data Repository, including when they help, what to index, and advanced strategies.

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Data Models in Power BI

March 15, 2023

Data models are foundational to Power BI report development. This article explores star schemas, rowset-based models, and snowflake schemas.

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Working with Precision in T-SQL

November 3, 2022

Understand the ROUND function, float vs. decimal data types, and truncation behavior to write accurate numeric calculations in T-SQL.

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The Importance of DR Maintenance

September 14, 2022

Regular DR maintenance including transfer monitoring, error review, storage management, and index defragmentation prevents data accuracy issues.

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So You Want a Barcode

April 25, 2022

Install free barcode fonts and apply them in SSRS or Power BI Report Builder to add scannable barcodes to any Data Repository report.

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Report and Data Validation

March 4, 2022

A validation checklist for Data Repository reports covering data accuracy, source comparison, and file export verification.

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Connecting to DR with Power BI

November 29, 2021

Learn how to connect Power BI to MEDITECH Data Repository using Import and DirectQuery modes while building effective data models.

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Microsoft Power BI and DR

September 29, 2021

Power BI brings modern analytics to MEDITECH Data Repository, connecting multiple data sources into interactive dashboards and reports.

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SQL Server User-Defined Functions II

July 26, 2021

Table-valued functions centralize complex multi-table logic so teams can write standardized, maintainable DR code across the organization.

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Data Repository System Tables

June 28, 2021

MEDITECH's DR system tables map application data to SQL columns, helping report writers quickly find the right tables and fields.

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Why SourceID is Important in DR

June 25, 2021

Including SourceID in every DR join enables efficient Clustered Index Seeks instead of slow full-table scans on realistic queries.

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SQL Server User-Defined Functions

April 26, 2021

User-defined functions in SQL Server let you create reusable logic for common calculations like patient age and clinical time intervals.

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Optimal DR tempdb Configuration

January 7, 2021

Follow MEDITECH best practices to configure tempdb with dedicated storage, eight data files, and proper sizing for optimal DR performance.

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Using URLs in SQL Server Reporting Services - Part 2

July 7, 2020

Use URL-based navigation to connect SSRS reports across different project folders by constructing parameterized links in T-SQL.

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Using URLs in SQL Server Reporting Services

June 5, 2020

Use the Action property in SQL Server Reporting Services to build dynamic URL-based navigation from report data to external websites.

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Why Data Repository is Different

March 2, 2020

Data Repository differs from typical SQL databases in collation, normalization, schema stability, and sheer complexity of healthcare data.

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Multi-value Parameters in SQL Server Reporting Services

November 15, 2019

A step-by-step guide to implementing multi-value dropdown parameters in SSRS using a table-valued function and stored procedures.

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Primary Keys in Data Repository

August 29, 2019

Primary keys define table uniqueness and parent-child relationships in DR, making them essential for correct and efficient SQL joins.

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When to Build a Data Mart

July 31, 2019

Data marts improve report performance by separating complex, frequently-refreshed datasets from the live Data Repository.

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Management Studio Shortcuts

June 3, 2019

Boost your SQL Server Management Studio productivity with custom query shortcuts, block select editing, and essential keyboard commands.

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Where's the Data?

May 3, 2019

An introductory guide to how MEDITECH organizes clinical and financial data in the Data Repository for new report writers.

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Thought Leadership

MUSE Views Podcast

May 10, 2024

Acmeware President Joel Benware discusses the Empower platform, AI-driven analytics, and Downtime Defender on the MUSE Views podcast.

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External Links in MEDITECH

July 13, 2023

External Links in MEDITECH let users launch web-based reports, Power BI dashboards, and intranet resources directly from application menus.

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Emergency Preparedness in Healthcare

May 4, 2023

A structured six-phase approach to EHR downtime planning that keeps clinical data accessible and patient care safe during outages.

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Know Your Data

May 13, 2020

Data Repository and SQL Server tools help you visualize MEDITECH data, build better NPR and RD reports, and train new analysts faster.

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The Value of Validating eCQM Data

November 13, 2018

Continuous eCQM data validation prevents submission errors, catches mapping issues early, and prepares your facility for CMS audits.

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Blog

01.

Industry trends, regulatory updates, and expert perspective on the MEDITECH ecosystem.

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Company News & Events

02.

Product launches, partnerships, and what's happening at Acmeware.

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