Statement attributed to:
Patrice A. Harris, M.D., M.A.,
President, American Medical Association

“The American Medical Association (AMA) greatly appreciates that Administrator Seema Verma and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are proposing policy changes that prioritize patients over paperwork and let doctors be doctors.

“While the AMA continues to assess the full scope of the proposed Medicare payment schedule rule, we are pleased to see important policy revisions that will bring us closer to a more patient-centered health care system that promotes the key principles of affordability, accessibility, quality and innovation.

“One provision that stands out is the change for documenting and coding office visit evaluation and management (E/M) services for implementation in 2021. Developed in partnership between the AMA and CMS and with broad input from the medical community, the proposal reflects the increasing complexity of these services and the resources required to provide them, and represents a significant step toward reducing administrative and documentation burdens in medicine.

“The proposed changes to documenting and coding for office visits will streamline reporting requirements, reduce note bloat, improve workflow, and contribute to a better environment for health care professionals and their Medicare patients. The AMA stands ready to help the entire health care community implement the simplified approach to E/M documentation and coding and has created a website that provides useful background and instructional information.

“Another provision of the proposed rule that stands out is the framework for a more cohesive Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). The AMA commends CMS for requesting input on a simplified option that would give physicians the choice to focus on episodes of care rather than following the current, more fragmented approach. Making MIPS more clinically relevant and less burdensome is a top priority for the AMA and we believe CMS is taking an important step toward this goal.

“Under Administrator Verma’s leadership, CMS has demonstrated its commitment to prioritizing patients over paperwork, partnering with the medical community in an intensive effort to improve previous policies and proposals. The AMA looks forward to further collaboration with CMS as we work toward the shared goal of providing high-value care for patients.”