Docs, Nurses Press for Changes to MACRA Rule

As the window for feedback on physician payment reform closes, physician and specialty groups warn that implementation of an "overly complex system" should not be rushed. In addition, one nurses' organization is protesting being virtually left out of process.

The Medicare Access and CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program] Reauthorization Act aims to shift reimbursement away from the traditional fee-for-service arrangement toward paying for value. MACRA replaces the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, which was repealed in April 2015, with two channels for statutory payment updates.

While the legislation aims to draw more providers into advanced alternative payment models, many provider groups are concerned the proposed rule implicitly creates barriers to achieving such a goal.

"The implementation of MACRA will impact our health care system for years to come, and it must be done thoughtfully, carefully and as simply as possible -- and this proposed rule at present falls short of these goals," said Robert Wergin, MD, chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) board of directors in a letter.