The Medical Group Management Association released its 2017 Regulatory Burden Survey.
The survey, conducted last July, examines the federal regulatory demands medical groups face and how these demands affect practices. The survey includes 750 group practices, and the largest represented population was independent medical practices with six to 20 physicians.
Here are eight survey findings.
1. Eighty-four percent of group practices "agree" or "strongly agree" their practices could put more resources toward patient care with a reduction in Medicare's regulatory complexity, the study found.
2. Nearly 50 percent of group practices said they spent more than $40,000 annually per full-time equivalent physician to comply with federal rules.
3. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act's Quality Payment Program topped respondents' list of issues they see as "very" or "extremely" burdensome (82 percent). That was followed by "lack of electronic attachments for claims and prior authorization" (74 percent), "audits and appeals" (69 percent), "lack of EHR interoperability" (68 percent), and "payer use of virtual credit cards" (59 percent).
4. Eighty percent of group practices said they are "very" or "extremely" concerned about the clinical relevance of MACRA's Merit-Based Incentive Payment System to taking care of patients, according to the survey.
5. The survey also found seventy-three percent of group practices said MIPS as a government program fails to support their practice's clinical quality priorities.
6. More than 70 percent of group practices said they view the MIPS scoring system as "very" or "extremely" complex.
7. More than 50 percent of group practices said they are "very" or "extremely" concerned with federally-mandated EHR certification requirements.
8. Nearly all group practices (93 percent) said they support a single provider credentialing source for Medicare, Medicaid and U.S. commercial payers.
Read the full survey findings here.
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