News: Add a little spice to 2010 with PEPPER reports

Some hospitals will start to receive Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Reports (PEPPER) this month, according to TMF Health Quality Institute.TMF contracts with CMS to produce the reports. State Medicare Quality Improvement Organizations previously produced and distributed the information.

PEPPER reports are a valuable way for CDI specialists to monitor their program data. They include hospital-specific data for various MS-DRGs and discharges identified as high risks for payment errors. TMF provides staff training regarding use of the reports, and it will launch a dedicated Web site with helpful resources.

Short-term and long-term acute care IPPS hospitals will receive reports via a My QualityNet secure file exchange. To ensure receipt of these reports, hospitals are required to designate a QualityNet Administrator, complete a registration process, verify access, and set certain notification preferences.

For more information, visitwww.pepperresources.org.