PEPC was pleased to sign a September 28 letter addressed to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell, joining over 800 physician and health care associations, health systems, provider practices, and ACOs in asking Congress to extend Medicare’s 5 percent Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) incentive payments authorized under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
Absent congressional intervention, the ability for clinicians to qualify for the incentive payments is set to expire at end of 2022. This development would reduce reimbursements and serve as a disincentive to nearly 300,000 clinicians working to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. These physicians and other health care providers have made laudable efforts to transform and improve the health care system by participating in Advanced APMs. Ending these important incentive payments would discourage future participation in models that have seen growing uptake in recent years.
In recognition of our commitment to advancing Medicare’s transition to value-based care, we urge Congress to include Section 4 of the Value in Health Care Act (H.R. 4587) in any end-of-year legislative package. This bipartisan legislation would extend the current 5 percent Advanced APM incentive payments and give CMS the authority to adjust the thresholds to qualify for the incentive payments, which are scheduled for steep increases under current law.
To read the full letter, click here.