Eyeworld

EW ASCRS NEWS 3 by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer MACRA update to be given at EyeWorld Surgical Summit January 2017 patient thresholds will receive a 5% bonus. The MIPS program is com- prised of four categories, each with W ith the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) final rule released in October 2016, physicians need to be aware of many important details. At the EyeWorld Surgical Summit in Febru- ary, Nancey McCann, ASCRS•ASOA director of government relations, will give an update on some of the top things to know about MACRA. The Quality Payment Program Final Rule implements the Mer- it-Based Incentive Payment Sys- tem (MIPS) and Advanced APMs. The final rule incorporates major changes from the original proposed rule, and ASCRS and the medical community advocated for many of these changes. New policies include a flexible performance period for the first transition year (2017); reducing the Resource Use, or Cost, catego- ry weight to 0% for the first year payment determination in 2019; and reducing the quality reporting thresholds to 50% of all eligible pa- tients for registry and EHR reporting or 50% of Part B patients for claims reporting. For the first performance year (2017), providers have a number of participation options. To avoid a penalty for 2019, be- ginning January 1, 2017, providers can choose to report: • One quality measure for one patient and not have to meet the measure benchmark; or • One improvement activity; or • The required base measures for Advancing Care Information. To be eligible for a small bonus and avoid a penalty, providers can choose to report for at least 90 days: • Two or more quality measures on at least one patient and not have to meet the measure benchmarks; or • More than one improvement activity; or • The required base measures and additional performance measures for Advancing Care Information. Providers who report all the required measures and meet thresh- olds and benchmarks in each of the categories for at least 90 days—or up to the full year—have the greatest potential for a larger bonus and will not receive a penalty. The 90-day performance period can begin any- time between January 1, 2017, and October 2, 2017. Data must be re- ported no later than March 31, 2018. • If a MIPS-eligible clinician does not report even one measure or activity in 2017, he or she will receive the full negative 4% pay- ment adjustment in 2019. • MIPS eligible clinicians who par- ticipate in Advanced APM entities that meet the required revenue or continued on page 8

• Cover