By now you've likely caught wind of the small,
2,400-page final rule CMS issued Oct. 14 that puts a finishing touch or two on CMS' new era of quality reporting and value-based payments.
Since the final rule dropped Friday, Part B News has been assaying the ether and keeping tabs on what key groups are publicly saying as the ripples expand outward.
"The sheer magnitude of a 2400-page regulation and its impact on physician practices can’t be ignored," said Halee Fischer-Wright, M.D., president and CEO of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), in a statement.
Despite the breadth of the final rule, "MGMA is pleased with the significant burden reduction for physician practices in the first year of the [merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS)] program," stated Fischer-Wright.
Other groups found favor in the transitional approach that CMS is taking for year one of MIPS.
“The AMA acknowledges the commitment by Acting Administrator Andrew Slavitt and his senior team at CMS for listening to physician concerns and taking several concrete steps to help them adjust to this new Medicare payment framework,” said AMA President Andrew W. Gurman, M.D., in a statement. The AMA likes the
"pick-your-pace" policy for MIPS.
The American College of Physicians applauds CMS for "allowing for a transition period that will hold physicians harmless if they are able to report a minimum amount of 2017 data to Medicare," said Nitin S. Damle, M.D., president of ACP in a statement.
However, MGMA, for one, would like CMS to do more to streamline payment logic. "CMS missed an opportunity to close the two-year gap between the measurement and payment periods, which would facilitate improved patient care by providing actionable feedback to physicians and more timely incentives," said Fischer-Wright.
Stay tuned to the Part B News blog and Part B News online for additional updates.