Government Healthcare Policy, Business and Technology

GOP lawmakers say MACRA could kill small practices and fuel consolidation

Modern Healthcare: Republican lawmakers are warning the CMS that if its draft rule on the new physician payment framework is finalized as is, small practices may close their doors, leading to more consolidation and higher healthcare costs.A group of Republican physicians in Congress wrote to the CMS (PDF) just weeks before a final rule is expected. When MACRA goes live in 2019, it promises bonuses for top-performing doctors and clinicians and negative incentives for underperformers on a variety of measures, especially quality of care.The lawmakers urge the CMS to be flexible by lowering patient minimum reporting thresholds. The agency wants providers to report quality measures on 90% of their patients from all payers, and 80% of Medicare patients. Currently, only 50% of Medicare patients are required.

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