CMS Announces MACRA Final Rule

CMS announced on October 14th, 2016 that it will offer providers more flexibility to comply with payment reforms called for under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). A few of the highlights from the announcement include modified reporting requirements for the first year starting January 2017 , expansion of Advanced APM’s and a new quality payment program website which includes tools to help navigate the MIPS reporting options.

• “It’s time to modernize the Medicare physician payment system to be more streamlined and effective at supporting high-quality patient care. To be successful, we must put patients and clinicians at the center of the Quality Payment Program,” said Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “A critical feature of the program will be implementing these changes at a pace and with options that clinicians choose. Today’s policies are designed to get all eligible clinicians to participate in the program, so they are set up for successful care delivery as the program matures.”

The final rule also aims to provide flexibility, simplicity, and support for small practices by creating two pathways of participation. These paths let clinicians pick the right pace for them to participate in the transition from a fee-for-service health care system to one that uses alternative payment models that reward quality of care over quantity of services.

Overall, CMS intends to provide a number of ways to learn and receive assistance for the Quality Payment Program via their new Quality Payment Program website, as well as directly through in-person and virtual educational sessions and webinars.

For more information on this final ruling, please see the following websites for more details:

For more information about the final rule, including a fact sheet, please visit: https://qualitypaymentprogram.cms.gov/education

Comments may be submitted electronically through our e-Regulation website at http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Regulations-and-Policies/eRulemaking/index.html?redirect=/eRulemaking.

For more information on today’s rule, including a blog post, please visit: http://wayback.archive-it.org/2744/20170118125448/https://blog.cms.gov/2016/10/14/a-letter-from-cms-to-medicare-clinicians-in-the-quality-payment-program/