SHM Releases Resources to Educate Hospital Medicine Professionals on MACRA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2017
About SHM
Representing the fastest growing specialty in modern healthcare, the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) is the leading medical society for hospitalists and their patients.
Updated Resources Help Hospitalists Successfully Navigate New Payment Structure, Keep Hospitalists Informed
The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) has prepared resources to educate hospital medicine professionals on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and assist in their navigation of MACRA’s Quality Payment Program (QPP). Signed into law in April 2015, MACRA repealed the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and instituted significant reforms to the Medicare physician payment system.
“Hospitalists need to know that MACRA will impact their pay, either directly or indirectly, and the site that SHM has compiled offers a straightforward approach to understanding the various paths through which providers can participate, tailored to the needs of hospitalist practices,” says Greg Seymann, MD, SFHM and Chair of the SHM Performance Measurement and Reporting Committee. “It will serve as a valuable resource for hospitalists seeking to adapt to the changing payment landscape which increasingly ties payment to quality of care.”
Resources include information on the basics of MACRA, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Models (APMs), a detailed MACRA FAQ and MIPS guide, infographics and more. All of the resources are located at www.macraforhm.org, which will be updated as policies continue to develop.
MACRA is the biggest change to the Medicare system since its inception. Although payment adjustments will not take place until 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will use 2017 reporting data to determine the payments. SHM expects most hospitalists will fall under the MIPS in the first year. As part of the transition into the new program, hospitalists need to report at least one Quality Measure or one Improvement Activity in 2017 to avoid a penalty in 2019.
“SHM continues to work on the front end advocating for hospitalists within MACRA policies as they emerge,” notes Beth Hawley, MBA, SFHM, FACHE and Chief Operating Officer at SHM. “Our goal with these resources is to equip hospitalists with the most up-to-date information as they respond to and implement changes in their practices.”
Visit www.macraforhm.org to access SHM’s hospitalist-specific MACRA resources.