The QIP: will it improve dialysis care? An overview

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Incentive Program is a pay-for-performance initiative that imposes dialysis payment reductions of up to 2% for suboptimal quality. In payment years 2012 and 2013 the methodology is simple, a point system based on performance in dialysis adequacy and anemia. In payment year 2014 (performance period begins Jan. 1, 2012) the QIP changes substantially, with a methodology that more closely resembles the Medicare Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing Program. Succeeding with the QIP will require both providing high quality care for a wider variety of measures, and a clear and complete understanding of the program structure and the new scoring methodology. In this review we discuss the QIP, with a comprehensive explanation of measures and scoring procedure.