Physicians Seek Modifications In Medicare’s New Plans For Payment
The doctors are hoping that in rules expected soon the federal government will ease requirements for small practices to participate in the new Medicare payment options offering higher risk and higher financial reward. Also, some hospitals are asking the federal government to make some bundled-payment programs voluntary.
The Hill:
Doctors Look To Price For Tweaks In Medicare Rule
Doctors are hoping Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, a fellow physician, will address challenges for small practices in a proposed Medicare rule expected in coming weeks. The White House is reviewing potential 2018 updates to Medicare’s new payment system commonly known as MACRA, a shift in reimbursing physicians to reward them with bonuses for better patient care. (Clason, 4/24)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospitals Call On Trump Administration To End Mandatory Bundled Pay Programs
Several hospitals have called on the CMS to turn Obama-era bundled-payment initiatives for cardiac and orthopedic care into voluntary programs, as they don't have the financial resources to invest in the changes.The CMS last month delayed the effective dates of four new payment models for certain cardiac and orthopedic conditions from July 1 until Oct. 1, 2017, and asked for input on whether they should be delayed even further until Jan. 1, 2018. (Dickson, 4/24)
