AHA advises Congress how to advance MACRA payment models

In a letter submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations for a hearing on challenges implementing value-based and alternative payment models under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, AHA encouraged certain statutory and regulatory policies to advance and flexibly implement these models. Recommendations include extending incentive payments; investing in resources and infrastructure to support rural hospitals’ transition to APMs; improving cost measures in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System; and supporting more gradual transitions to risk for certain Medicare Shared Savings Program accountable care organizations.  
 
“One additional factor that has impacted the transition to value-based care has been the longstanding challenges with insufficient reimbursement,” AHA said, including site-neutral payment cuts that have contributed to Medicare’s “chronic failure to cover the cost of caring for its beneficiaries.” The association said it “strongly opposes additional site-neutral payment cuts, which threaten access to care.”