New tools help physicians with Medicare's new quality payment program

CHICAGO — As physicians across the country prepare for the first comprehensive changes in Medicare payment in three decades, the American Medical Association (AMA) is unveiling new resources to encourage and simplify participation in the program. The new, customizable MIPS Action Plan will help physicians pursue the right course of action for their practice, take recommended steps to meet program requirements, and measure their performance against important milestones. The AMA also released a short video, entitled “One patient, one measure, no penalty: How to avoid a Medicare payment penalty with basic reporting.”

The new resources come on the heels of a recent survey conducted by the AMA and KPMG that shows an overwhelming majority of physicians are unprepared to participate successfully in Medicare’s new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), despite the transitional flexibility provided for 2017. In particular, physicians who have not previously participated in Medicare reporting programs are in need of basic information on steps they need to take this year to avoid a payment penalty in 2019.