In the midst of one of the most intensive regulatory periods for physicians, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner Wednesday told doctors that the agency is working toward easing their burden and finding resources to help them transition to new care delivery and payment models.
Speaking at the AMA National Advocacy Conference, Tavenner announced that physicians would receive a request for information Wednesday, marking the beginning of an effort to help practices adopt models that focus on care coordination, quality and population health improvement.
“We’ve spent the last four years moving from a payment system that’s designed for volume to one that’s tied to value,” Tavenner said. As a result, spending increases have slowed dramatically. “This is thanks to the work many of you are doing each and every day.”
“We know that the physician community wants to assist and wants to lead in these transformations, but we also realize that you need resources to move forward,” she said. “We think this investment will be critical to support transformation in the ambulatory setting.”
“We understand you’re trying to run a practice and do a lot of other things, and you’re going to need a lot of support. How would you transition? What kind of support would you need? We want your feedback on what is doable.”
A point that echoed throughout Tavenner’s address was that CMS wants physicians’ input—not just on new initiatives but also on established issues.
“I read all the letters from the AMA,” she said. “And I always appreciate the feedback and the solutions offered.”
Tavenner highlighted several regulations the agency is re-evaluating for effectiveness in reaching their original objectives. These rules include:
- The “two-midnight” hospital observation rule, which Tavenner said “was never meant to replace medical judgment; it’s kind of gone in a way that it was never intended.”
- Medicare recovery audit contractors (RAC), which have been suspended as the agency considers what these contractors should audit. Tavenner said when the program resumes, RACs will not be paid right away, and physicians will have more time to produce records. In the meantime, a cross-agency task force is working to address the backlog of appeals.
- Meaningful use of electronic health records, which Tavenner said the agency is trying to align with ePrescribing. She also confirmed that a hardship exemption would be available for some practices that are “legitimately struggling” to meet the requirements.
The AMA continues to work with CMS to address a variety of regulatory issues that continue to weigh physicians down in their practice of medicine.
