A session at the 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting will help rheumatologists navigate current payment systems and identify resources to ensure appropriate reimbursement for complex care.
2019 Proposed Rule for MIPS Performance Year 3
The CMS has submitted its annual proposed rule, which continues the transition to a value-based model, for comment by stakeholders and the public for the 2019 MIPS performance year (Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2019).
Rheumatology Can Use MACRA to Drive Healthcare Improvements
We have entered the second year of the Medicare Access and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. It’s no secret that the costs of medical care—17.1% of the U.S. gross national product compared with 9.8% in Great Britain, 10.7% in Canada and 11.6% in France—have become an overwhelming driver for change….
RISE Registry Helps ACR Members Successfully Navigate MIPS
Time certainly flies, and 2018 marks the second year that rheumatologists who see Medicare patients are operating under the new Quality Payment Program (QPP) created by the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). MACRA repealed the Fee-for-Service model under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and transitioned Medicare reimbursement to a system more overtly…
The ACR’s 2018 Legislative & Regulatory Priorities
A recent Politico article outlined the looming agenda facing Congress as 2018 begins: Fund the government, raise the debt ceiling, modify spending caps, address healthcare subsidies, allocate additional funds for disaster relief, and address the status of millions of undocumented young immigrants.1 Amid all that activity, the ACR, through its Government Affairs Committee (GAC) and…
The ACR Lobbies Against New Part B Drug Cost Adjustment Rule
The ACR and a number of other physician medical associations are lobbying for an immediate legislative fix to a piece of the MACRA law that factors high-cost Part B drugs into a rheumatology practice’s Medicare reimbursement rate through the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). This change, which goes into effect immediately, will impact practices in…
ACR Works to Eliminate Part B Drug Costs from MIPS Payment Adjustments
The ACR is taking steps to clarify a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that, as currently written, would consider the cost of Part B drugs when calculating physician reimbursement under the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). “The ACR is concerned about this, because large cuts to reimbursement for pass-through…
MACRA: Tips & Tools for Rheumatology Staff
All healthcare professionals who work in rheumatology had to start adapting to a new landscape of reporting and documentation on Jan. 1 of this year when the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act, or MACRA, began. As the changeover continues, the Sunday ARHP session, Your New Role in the Era of…
How MACRA Has Affected Physician Compliance
In recent years, providers and practice groups have been worrying about Meaningful Use (MU) and gaining knowledge on using certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to avoid payment penalties, earn incentives and increase practice efficiency. Now, with the release of the final rule for MACRA payment reform, physicians will have two options for payment paths:…
How to Survive MACRA
The year 2015 brought the end of the much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), sometimes known as the “doc fix.” The SGR established limits on Medicare reimbursement for physicians, and each year, physicians and those lobbying on their behalf were forced to stave off drastic cuts to their payments. “The SGR was Congress’s attempt to control…