By Jeff Jones, Executive Project Assistant, GroupOne Health Source Inc.
Twitter: @GroupOne_Health
The final rule on MACRA was released by the Department of Health and Human Services on October 14th, 2016. Since the final rule weighs in at a staggering 2,171 pages, we here at GroupOne thought it would be helpful to provide you with a list of resources that offer detailed information about the final rule.
If you’d like to sift through 2,171 pages yourself, feel free. Here’s the link to the final rule if you’re into that kind of thing.
If you’re not that ambitious but still want to read some substance of the rule, here’s a link to the executive summary.
Now, for those of you who don’t enjoy reading Federal documents for fun, here’s a list of resources that will help you get a handle on MACRA. We’ve also provided a short description of each resource below so you know what to expect from each.
1) The Quality Payment Program (QPP) Website
This website has been put together by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in order to help physicians fully understand what the QPP is.
The home page of this website tells you basic information like:
- What’s the Quality Payment Program;
- Who’s in the Quality Payment Program;
- How the Quality Payment Program changes your Medicare payments; and
- Details the different options for participation
The tabs at the top of the home page allow you to learn about the program, which explains how you participate in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and how you participate in Alternative Payment Models (APMs) or you can explore different measures by using the tool to browse the different MIPS measures and activities.
The Education and Tools tab gives clinicians access to a resource library where they can find links to official information.
2) The American Medical Association
The American Medical Association provides their analysis of the Medicare Payment Reform. The home page of this website provides background information like:
- How you can prepare
- Efforts to improve the rule
- Understanding MIPS
- Understanding APMs
The key to this resource is the tools it provides. For example, the AMA Payment Model Evaluator provides clinicians with educational resources, a brief assessment to discover where your practice stands under MACRA and actionable resources to maximize success.
The AMA STEPS Forward Practice Transformation Series learning module gives clinicians five STEPS to prepare for value-based care, answers common questions about becoming a value-focused organization, and provides case vignettes that describe how clinicians can create value-based practices.
3) Healthcare Communities
Healthcare Communities developed a Practice Transformation Network (PTN) Map. This map provides state and regional level PTN information for clinicians looking to begin their transformation journey. This interactive map allows you to click on a state in order to find PTNs in your area and then allows you to click on the PTN name to link to contact and recruitment information about that specific PTN.
4) SAignite
SAignite helps healthcare organizations simplify the management of complex value-based programs. They provide a great deal of resources in regards to MACRA and they are constantly analyzing and updating this information as the rule changes. SAignite also provides monthly webinars that cover all topics of MACRA.
This article was originally published on GroupOne Healthsource and is republished here with permission.