The Alliance of Specialty Medicine submitted comments to the U.S. House Republican and Democratic Doctors Caucuses on modernizing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The Alliance highlighted challenges with the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), including structural issues, the lack of inflation adjustments, and budget neutrality requirements that have led to declining physician payments and increased healthcare system consolidation.
The Alliance emphasized the need for legislative reforms to improve the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models, enhance specialty participation in alternative payment models (APMs), and address barriers to meaningful engagement in value-based care. They also called for reforms to the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), including reducing administrative burdens, promoting specialty-focused metrics, and improving access to Medicare claims data. Additionally, they urged Congress to reinstate the APM incentive payment, lower Qualifying APM Participant (QP) thresholds, and adopt permanent solutions to stabilize Medicare physician payments and support investments in value-based care. You can read the entire letter and comments by clicking on the link below.
