CMS-Approved Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for MIPS
Standard measures weren't built for specialists. Our QCDR measures were.
Most registries limit you to generic measures where a perfect score is hard to reach. We wrote our own, CMS approved them, and we report them for you, so you're scored on the specialty work you actually do.
What goes in
Your claims and EMR data
VBCA Registry
CMS-approved QCDREvery patient checked all year, so a July gap is flagged in July.
Our 4 CMS-approved measures
- AVBC1Heart rate control in AFib
- AVBC2Echo stewardship in CHF
- AVBC3SGLT2 inhibitors in CKD
- AVBC4Ischemic imaging stewardship
What goes to CMS
One submission, all four MIPS categories
- Quality
- Cost
- Improvement activities
- Promoting interoperability
CMS-approved registry and Medicare ACO
4 of our quality measures approved by CMS
More than 100 practices across 12+ states
The scoring ceiling
CMS caps topped-out measures at 7 points, even at 100%
Where the same 100% lands
Points by national decile, 1 to 10
Topped-out MIPS measure
For example statin therapy, where most clinicians score near 100%
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Deciles 8 to 10 don't exist for this measure. The dashed cells can't be reached.
VBCA QCDR measure
For example SGLT2 inhibitors in CKD
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
The full decile range is open, so high performance earns high points.
Six measures, four of them capped
12 pts
surrendered before the year begins, even with perfect performance.
Measure selection is the decision, and it's made in January.
A QCDR can offer measures that aren't capped this way, so a higher score is within reach.
Registry comparison
How our QCDR compares with a standard registry
Standard registry or EHR
VBCA QCDR
- Measures
- Standard registry: One-size-fits-all CMS measures that often don't fit your specialty
- VBCA QCDR: Specialty measures we developed and CMS approved
- Scoring
- Standard registry: High topped-out risk, since common measures carry the 7-point cap
- VBCA QCDR: Measure selection steered toward measures where all 10 points are reachable
- Coverage
- Standard registry: Quality only, with interoperability, improvement activities, and cost in other portals
- VBCA QCDR: All four categories in one workspace and one submission
- Validation
- Standard registry: Manual cleanup before an end-of-year upload
- VBCA QCDR: Patient-level gap detection all year: a July gap is flagged in July
- Support
- Standard registry: Software only, and you're on your own for audits
- VBCA QCDR: We manage submission and stand behind the data if CMS requests a review
Many of those specialty measures are ones our team wrote.
The measures we wrote
Measures our team wrote, approved by CMS
- AVBC1Approved by CMS for 2025CardiovascularHeart Rate Control in Atrial FibrillationCloses a gap in AFib management. Rate control is fundamental to symptom relief and outcomes, yet no standard measure tracked it.Read the specification
- AVBC2Approved by CMS for 2025 and 2026CardiovascularEchocardiogram Stewardship in CHFReduces unnecessary repeat testing in stable heart failure patients, where extra echos add cost without changing management or improving outcomes.Read the specification
- AVBC3Approved by CMS for 2025 and 2026Nephrology, cardiology, primary careSGLT2 Inhibitors in CKDPromotes evidence-based prescribing in chronic kidney disease stages 2 and 3. SGLT2 inhibitors slow CKD progression regardless of diabetes status.CMS invited VBCA to introduce this measure nationwide in 2027.Read the specification
- AVBC4Approved by CMS for 2026CardiovascularNoninvasive Ischemic Imaging StewardshipTargets overuse of stress imaging in chronic coronary disease without a clinical indication.Read the specification
New measures score from their first year
First- and second-year QCDR measures receive automatic MIPS points regardless of performance, a built-in scoring advantage while benchmarks are established.
The same registry reports for ACOs
Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs file their APP Plus quality reporting through our registry, across all four collection types.
Our view
In the move to MIPS Value Pathways and mandatory models, your choice of registry is your most important strategic decision.
A standard registry transmits your data and hopes. A QCDR lets you report the complex, high-value work you actually do, instead of the administrative checkboxes CMS provides.
The practices that control their measure selection today will have an advantage when specialty-specific scoring becomes mandatory.
Keep reading
Where QCDR measures fit
- MIPS reporting and strategyMeasure selection, score modeling, and what each point of the four-category score is worth in dollars.Learn about MIPS
- MIPS Value PathwaysMVPs require tighter alignment between measures. See how QCDR measures fit.Learn about MVPs
- The platformEvery QCDR measure we develop is built in, alongside scenario modeling and cost visibility.Tour the platform
What is a QCDR?
A Qualified Clinical Data Registry is an organization approved by CMS to collect and submit MIPS data, and to offer its own quality measures. VBCA is one, with 4 CMS-approved measures of our own.
What does it mean when a measure is topped out?
When most clinicians already score near 100% on a measure, CMS declares it topped out and caps it at 7 of 10 points, no matter how well you perform. Report six measures with four of them capped and 12 points are gone before the year begins.
Which of VBCA's measures has CMS approved?
Four: Heart Rate Control in Atrial Fibrillation (AVBC1), Echocardiogram Stewardship in CHF (AVBC2), SGLT2 Inhibitors in CKD (AVBC3), and Noninvasive Ischemic Imaging Stewardship (AVBC4).
Do new QCDR measures score differently?
Yes. In their first and second years, QCDR measures receive automatic MIPS points regardless of performance while benchmarks are established.
Can an ACO report through the registry?
Yes. The same registry files APP Plus quality reporting for Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs, across all four collection types.
Who submits the data to CMS?
We do. We manage the submission for all four MIPS categories and stand behind the data if CMS requests a review.
See your score on standard measures next to ours
Get a measure comparison
Or email Support@VBCA.com