The AAMC submitted a Jan. 14 response (PDF) to a bipartisan request for information from the GOP Doctors Caucus and the Congressional Doctors Caucus on potential reforms to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA, P.L. 114-10, PDF). The request specifically sought feedback on improving the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models, as well as ways to improve the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
The AAMC highlighted ongoing challenges its members face under the Quality Payment Program (QPP), including frequent payment uncertainty and administrative burden, which can affect staffing, patient access, and long-term planning. The association also urged Congress to strengthen and sustain advanced alternative payment models (AAPMs), noting that value-based care models such as accountable care organizations have improved quality and generated savings for Medicare while enabling providers to better coordinate care for patients with complex medical and social needs. The AAMC recommended extending incentives for participation in AAPMs, modifying qualifying thresholds to encourage continued participation, and adding guardrails to the CMMI’s authority, particularly for mandatory models. The letter also outlined targeted improvements to MIPS, including better risk adjustment, clearer attribution, and reduced reporting burden, to ensure quality programs meaningfully reflect patient outcomes and preserve access to care across all practice settings.