MIPS is an innovative reimbursement program that CMS or Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that is known for its unique set of benefits for provider payment. MACRA has developed a strong framework within which providers are compensated on the basis of quality care rather than a higher quantity of services.
In addition, CMS is allowed to combine many quality reporting programs to create one system that encompasses the entire system. The quality measure options that are provided under MIPS have certainly made it easier for clinicians to comprehend the program. However, determining the measures is a task that requires ample resources.
Boosting Participation
Extracting the service payment system that is based on fee for fee and adjusting the way clinicians offer care has been a challenging undertaking. As a result, CMS came up with MACRA’s MIPS as a way to ramp up participation gradually and provide eligible clinicians with numerous choices for quality reporting.
Picking Your Pace
Picking your own pace is a participation method that is included among the MACRA implementation strategies. Eligible clinicians have been able to report on Improvement Activity or MIPS quality in order to keep the penalty of four percent at bay.
Clinicians have also been given several options in regards to choosing the MIPS measure that will be used. Hundreds of quality measures were approved by CMS along with Improvement Activities during the initial performance year. Click here for MIPS mdinteractive.
Increasing The Measures
The reporting flexibilities are to be continued by the federal agency be increasing the number of measures gradually as required to avoid penalties along with providing an array measures that clinicians can choose from. Giving MIPS attestation and reporting choices is crucial for CMS to get the providers on board with the relatively new reimbursement program that is value-based.
Industry Surveys: Assessing Awareness Of MACRA And MIPS
- A number of surveys have been conducted and these show that there has been a significant percentage of healthcare providers who do not fully understand what MACRA Is or what MIPS entails.
- They were also unaware of the preceding legislation that was replaced by MACRA as well it actually was. Their knowledge extended as far as being aware that reimbursement would essentially be up in the air every year and they were unsure of whether or not they were getting a large portion.
- One of the surveys indicated that some providers described themselves as being aware of MACRA long after the launch of the reimbursement program. It was somewhat surprising to note that some providers knew of MACRA’s existence but were not knowledgeable about it.
Dealing With The Challenges
- While a substantial number of leaders in the healthcare sector understanding MACRA, it is essential for everyone involved to be able to identify aspects such as the MIPS penalty and the number of days required for data submission.
- Since this is something providers would not usually invest their energy and time in, the pushback was anticipated by CMS and the federal agency made a decision to increase participation to deal with the limited understanding of the program.
- CMS has been committed to making the program collaborative and flexible and giving physicians more options in order to ease them into the program while making the consequences of not participating dire.
Further Reading:
- Answers to more common questions about MACRA
- How to utilize the medicare enrolment period to your advantage
- Will the Supreme Court end Obamacare?
