On Oct. 26, the AAMC submitted a letter to Reps. Ami Bera, MD (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon, MD (R-Ind.) in response to a request for information regarding actions Congress can take to stabilize the Medicare physician payment system and Quality Payment Program (QPP) and promote value-based care.
In the letter, the association recommended that Congress prevent nearly 8.5% in payment reductions, extend the Advanced Alternative Payment Model (AAPM) 5% bonus for an additional six years, give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services authority to set thresholds for qualifying APM participant status in the future, and incentivize participation in AAPMs through additional policy changes.
Additionally, the letter asked Congress to extend the $500 million exceptional performance bonus to reward exceptional performers in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and emphasized the importance of appropriately adjusting all measures in the QPP to account for the clinical and social complexity of patients. The AAMC reiterated its commitment to working with Congress to ensure that Medicare payment policies promote access to high quality care for patients, reduce health care disparities, and incentivize participation in value-based models of care.