CMS Opens Door to Possible Delay of MACRA Implementation

CMS Acting Administrator, Andy Slavitt, told lawmakers that the agency is considering delaying the start date for Medicare payment reform, which is set to go into effect Jan 1. Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) would establish payment incentives for physicians and other clinicians based on quality of care rather than quantity (fee for service).Testifying before the Senate Finance Committee, Slavitt said the CMS is concerned that some physicians, particularly at small practices, may not be ready for the changes under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act that replaced the much-maligned sustainable growth-rate formula. In addition to alternative start dates, he mentioned the possibility of shorter reporting periods or allowing doctors to get experience with the new methods before the “impact really hits them.”