The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, a federal group tasked to advise Congress on Medicare, voted 14-2 on Thursday in favor of recommending Congress eliminate the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.
In a presentation at the meeting Thursday, MedPAC policy analysts criticized the program, saying it is "burdensome and complex" and "replicates flaws of prior value-based purchasing programs."
"MIPS will not succeed in helping beneficiaries choose clinicians, helping clinicians change practice patterns to improve value or helping the Medicare program to reward clinicians on value," the presentation read.
MedPAC commissioners in support of axing MIPS cite the financial burden on physicians to comply with reporting requirements and issues with the metrics.
On Thursday, the commissioners recommended replacing MIPS with a new model, the voluntary value program. The VVP would include an across-the-board withhold for all fee schedule payments, and performance would be assessed using uniform measures across three categories: clinical quality, patient experience and value. Commissioners in favor of the new program said it would better prepare physicians to participate in the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act's other track, Advanced Alternative Payment Models.
Access the MedPAC presentation here.
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