MACRA: A New Era of Medicare Payment

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, commonly referred to as MACRA, replaces an outdated Medicare payment system, setting into motion two pathways in which clinicians will participate in order to receive Medicare payment: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. While the details of MACRA are still being ironed out, it’s important to understand this new era of Medicare payment and the four core components that clinicians will be measured on: quality, resource use, clinical practice improvement and meaningful use of certified electronic health records. To help members navigate MACRA and prepare for the release of the final rule this fall, the ACC has launched a series of articles and resources available through the MACRA Information Hub on ACC.org. Be sure to review this list of frequently answered questions to get up-to-speed on how MACRA will impact you and your practice. Read more on ACC.org.

Quick Tips to Prepare for Improvement Activities Participation

• Review the list of Improvement Activities. Determine which activities you may already be participating in and which activities you may want to engage in.

• Determine if you are in an APM, small practice or rural practice that may qualify for flexibility in this category.

• ACC's PINNACLE and Diabetes Collaborative Registry, a Qualified Clinical Data Registry, may be able to help you meet several Improvement Activities. Determine if the registry is a good fit for your practice.

• The ACC has other quality improvement initiatives that may qualify as Improvement Activities activities. The College is currently seeking guidance on what activities may count. In the meantime, get up-to-speed on ACC's offerings under the Quality Improvement for Institutions program.