The Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES), used to submit assessment data, is being upgraded to make the system more reliable, scalable, secure, and accessible, according to CMS.
 
The enhancements, which began in March 2019, will occur in phases by provider type. They will reach Home Health Agencies in January 2020.
 
The initial rollout of iQIES will not change how providers or vendors submit data, however, a new user management system will be required as virtual private network (VPN) and CMSNet will no longer be needed.
 
All users will have to create an account and establish credentials in the Healthcare Quality Information System (HCQIS) Access, Roles and Profile system (HARP). HARP is a secure identity management portal that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides.
 
Related link: For more information on how to register, visit https://go.cms.gov/1ouQSTU.