10 principles to improve care for Medicare patients

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) prepares to implement new delivery and payment models and a streamlined incentive program, physicians took the lead in outlining principles that should govern these Medicare reforms. More than 100 state and specialty medical associations joined the AMA in signing a letter (log in) sent Monday to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that recommends 10 principles to guide the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the Medicare reform law that repealed the sustainable growth rate formula. In particular, the recommendations deal with alternative payment models (APM) and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which are intended to promote improvements in the delivery of care for Medicare patients. They are: 1.  Support delivery system improvements. Constraints and limitations of current payment systems that obstruct physician-identified improvements in care must be eliminated. Requirements for new models should be flexible enough to support different organizational arrangements and patient population needs so innovation can flourish. 2.  Avoid administrative and cost burdens for patients. Patients should not be unduly burdened with hidden costs, administrative requirements or other obstacles that discourage them from seeking care or fulfilling their treatment plans. 3.  Reduce administrative burdens for physicians. Administrative burdens must be limite...
Source: AMA Wire - Category: Journals (General) Authors: Source Type: news