MACRA Can Be Key To Helping Advance a Health Care System that Rewards Value Over Volume

The National Partnership for Women & Families today submitted comments applauding the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for its ongoing commitment to shifting to new payment models that reward quality and value, most recently demonstrated in the request for information for the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

In its comments, the National Partnership identifies MACRA as a critical opportunity to strengthen the delivery of care for Medicare beneficiaries. The National Partnership offers:

• Strong support for the use of patient-reported outcome and experience measures that are meaningful for both consumers and providers and will help providers drive quality improvement and value;
• Support for clinical practice improvement activities that meaningfully engage patients and families in quality improvement and redesign activities, for example through the use of Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs);
• Detailed criteria for patient-centered medical homes, including provision of personalized, whole-person care; ready access to care; effective care coordination; patient engagement at all levels of care delivery; and a commitment to continuous quality improvement; and 
• Key principles for designing and implementing Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that achieve better health outcomes, better experience of care and lower costs by meeting the needs of patients and improving how care is delivered. APMs must balance cost-saving interests with quality performance and beneficiary rights and protections, the letter says.