CHICAGO — As physicians across the country prepare for the first comprehensive changes in Medicare payment in three decades, the American Medical Association (AMA) is unveiling new resources to encourage and simplify participation in the program. The new, customizable MIPS Action Plan will help physicians pursue the right course of action for their practice, take recommended steps to meet program requirements, and measure their performance against important milestones. The AMA also released a short video, entitled “One patient, one measure, no penalty: How to avoid a Medicare payment penalty with basic reporting.”
The new resources come on the heels of a recent survey conducted by the AMA and KPMG that shows an overwhelming majority of physicians are unprepared to participate successfully in Medicare’s new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), despite the transitional flexibility provided for 2017. In particular, physicians who have not previously participated in Medicare reporting programs are in need of basic information on steps they need to take this year to avoid a payment penalty in 2019.
“The lack of preparedness for these important Medicare changes is particularly acute for physicians in smaller practices,” said AMA President David O. Barbe, M.D. “The AMA has achieved notable regulatory victories that have streamlined the reporting required in 2017, and we strongly encourage physicians to take a few important steps so they aren’t penalized by CMS. The AMA is providing a number of resources to educate and empower physicians, including informational podcasts, a payment model evaluator, and a new step-by-step guide that offers a brief assessment of where a practice stands.”
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) promises to reshape how Medicare pays physicians under the Quality Payment Program (QPP) by encouraging them to adopt value-based models in health care.
“Change has arrived,” Dr. Barbe said. “We know that change does not happen overnight or without challenges and the AMA is working to help physicians through this transition, both through our work to ease regulations and to provide physicians with tools to help them be more successful.”
The new MIPS Action Plan is the latest in a suite of resources created by the AMA to ease physicians’ transition to value-based care. Additional resources are located at AMA-assn.org/MACRA, which include:
- One Patient, One Measure, No Penalty resources, including the step-by-step video
- An AMA Wire® series on MACRA/QPP
- A ReachMD podcast series, “Inside Medicare’s New Payment System,” featuring guests including CMS Chief Medical Officer, Kate Goodrich, M.D., and former CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt
- The Payment Model Evaluator, an innovative tool offering initial assessments to physicians so they can determine how their practice will be impacted by MACRA
Media Contact:
About the American Medical Association
The American Medical Association is the physicians’ powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.
