The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) & Alternative Payment Models (APMs): Delivery System Reform, Medicare Payment Reform, & the MACRA
(Source – CMS.gov)
How does the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) reform Medicare payment?
The MACRA makes three important changes to how Medicare pays those who give care to Medicare beneficiaries. These changes include:
- Ending the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula for determining Medicare payments for health care providers’ services.
- Making a new framework for rewarding health care providers for giving better care not more just more care.
- Combining our existing quality reporting programs into one new system.
How do the MACRA payment reforms work?
The MACRA will help us to move more quickly toward our goal of paying for value and better care. It also makes it easier for more health care providers to successfully take part in our quality programs in one of two streamlined ways:
- Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
- Alternative Payment Models (APMs)
MIPS and APMs will go into effect over a timeline from 2015 through 2021 and beyond.
What’s the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)?
The MIPS is a new program that combines parts of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Value Modifier (VM or Value-based Payment Modifier), and the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive program into one single program in which Eligible Professionals (EPs) will be measured on:
- Quality
- Resource use
- Clinical practice improvement
- Meaningful use of certified EHR technology
What are Alternative Payment Models (APMs)?
APMs give us new ways to pay health care providers for the care they give Medicare beneficiaries. For example:
- From 2019-2024, pay some participating health care providers a lump-sum incentive payment.
- Increased transparency of physician-focused payment models.
- Starting in 2026, offers some participating health care providers higher annual payments.
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Patient Centered Medical Homes, and bundled payment models are some examples of APMs.
Where can I find more information about the MACRA?
- Get more in-depth information on the MACRA.
- Ask us to share MACRA information with your group
- Read or find answers to many questions about the MACRA Request for Information (RFI).
- View the MLN Connects® National Provider Call presentation of the 2016 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule including an overview of MACRA.
- View the MACRA timeline.
- See more about the MACRA and our “Path to Value.”
- See how we decide whether to test a model.
- Learn more about Physician Focused Payment Models (PFPMs) Technical Committee.
- Find the episode groups summary.
CMS Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP)
CMS is reviewing comments on the draft MDP and will post the final Measure Plan on May 2, 2016.
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