The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last week issued its final  carrying out key provisions of the landmark Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which called for a new Medicare payment system for physicians. Eligible clinicians will participate in one of two tracks starting in 2017 鈥 the default Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) or advanced alternative payment models (APMs), such as an accountable care organization or patient-centered medical homes. Clinicians who choose certain APMs can potentiallyearn annual bonuses of 5%. For those participating in MIPS, CMS made important changeswhere clinicians can 鈥減ick their pace鈥 toward participating in the new program during 2017. Now is the time to plan for the transition to the new program. To help you and your clinician partners prepare for the start of the program, we鈥檝e created a MACRA Tracker that will help hospitals evaluate where to invest time and resources in getting ready. Over the next few weeks, we will roll out additional tools to assist with MACRA implementation and education, including an educational video series called MACRA Minutes and a tool with strategic considerations and issues as hospitals and clinicians assess their preparedness for MIPS. And tap into our MACRA tools and resources. Stay tuned 鈥 there will be a lot to learn about Medicare鈥檚 new physician payment system in the next few months, and we stand ready to help.

 

Related News Articles

Chairperson's File
Public
The recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will bring big changes to health care. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack joined me for a Leadership Dialogue鈥
Headline
The House Ways and Means Subcommittees on Health and Oversight held a joint hearing today to discuss lessons learned, challenges and opportunities to improve鈥
Headline
The AHA today expressed support for the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act, a bill that would eliminate the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient鈥
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services July 14 released its calendar year 2026 proposed rule for the physician fee schedule. As required by鈥
Headline
The AHA July 8 wrote in opposition to the 鈥淧atient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act鈥 (H.R. 4002), which would repeal current law banning the creation鈥
Headline
The AHA July 3 released the Health Care Plan Accountability Update for the second quarter of 2025. The update covers the latest developments in Medicare鈥