MACRA: AMA Urges Physicians to Take Steps to Avoid Medicare Payment Penalty

Martina

The American Medical Association (AMA) is reminding physicians that the Medicare reimbursement system has changed, and, if they have not done so already, they have until December 31, 2017, to take a few simple steps to avoid a Medicare payment penalty in 2019.

The changes are part of the government’s implementation of MACRA, the new Medicare law that will affect physicians and practices of all sizes. 2017 is the first year of reporting under MACRA’s Quality Payment Program.

For those who were not prepared for full participation this year, reporting quality information on just one patient and one measure in 2017 will allow physicians to avoid a Medicare payment penalty in 2019. A full MACRA resource center is available on the AMA’s website, and to promote awareness of this option, the AMA launched the “one patient, one measure, no penalty” campaign, which offers a step-by-step guide to completing the process. The AMA has also produced a MACRA podcast series on ReachMD, including an episode with tips for small practices.
More information: https://www.ama-assn.org/ama-urges-physicians-take-steps-avoid-medicare-payment-penalty