In a letter to House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine shared its thoughts on a wide-ranging proposal to reform Medicare physician payment that the Republicans circulated to stakeholders. Key Points include:
- Payment Updates: Support for annual payment updates tied to the Medicare Economic Index (MEI) to reflect rising practice costs, opposing updates tied to a fraction of MEI every five years.
- Budget Neutrality: Support for H.R. 6371 to update budget neutrality thresholds, with exemptions for new Medicare benefits, public health emergencies, and increased practice costs. They also call for regular updates to practice expense data and flexibility for the HHS Secretary to waive budget neutrality requirements.
- Alternative Payment Models (APMs): Advocacy for more opportunities and guidance for specialists to participate in APMs, transparency in CMMI and PTAC processes, and restoration of the 5% APM incentive payment.
- Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Recommendations to simplify MIPS, recognize clinical data registries, provide technical assistance to small and rural practices, and align MIPS with other CMS programs.
- Quality Measures: Support for digital quality measures and voluntary demonstration projects, with concerns about the infrastructure and costs. They also call for transparency in sunsetting quality measures and addressing gaps in specialty measures.
The Alliance urges Congress to overhaul MACRA to ensure financial stability, promote value-based care, and safeguard access to high-quality care. The entire letter can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Alliance response to House EC Majority Physician Payment Reform Outline
