The benefit to practices adding PQRI codes to their submissions is that Medicare will pay up to an additional 1.5% of amounts reimbursed back to practices from the earliest PQRI starting date of July 1, 2007. Medicare will remit the additional amount to practices as a lump sum payment sometime during the month of July, 2008.

PQRI is a purely voluntary program. However, with the usage of PQRI codes integrated into ADS' systems, medical practices using the PQRI-compliant software will be able to easily derive the additional reimbursements.

Advanced Data Systems is providing the PQRI functionality to new and existing users of its software at no additional cost.

For more information about PQRI and how to use PQRI codes, please refer to www.cms.hhs.gov/pqri.