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HHS announces $100M for MACRA training to help small practices
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HHS has announced it will allocate $20 million annually for the next 5 years to fund “on-the-ground” training and education for clinicians in individual or small practices, in advance of the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which is poised to shift how Medicare payments are tied to the cost and quality of care.
As required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), HHS stated it will continue to award $20 million each year over the next 5 years, for a total of $100 million, to fund training for small practices, defined as having 12 or fewer clinicians, and help them participate in the Quality Payment Program. According to HHS, the funds will particularly help practices in historically under-resourced areas, including rural communities and those with a shortage of health professionals.
“Doctors and health care providers in small and rural practices are critical to our goal of building a health care system that works for everyone,” HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a press release. “Supporting local health care providers with the resources and information necessary for them to provide quality care is a top priority for this administration.”
Training organizations that receive the funding would be charged with helping small practices “think through what they need to be successful” under the Quality Payment Program, including what quality measures and electronic health record system may be appropriate for their practice, officials said. In addition, they would provide information on new clinical practice improvements, and help practices weigh their options for joining an Alternative Payment Model.
To receive funding, training organizations must “demonstrate their ability to strategically provide customized training,” and do so without cost to the clinician or practice.
HHS plans to announce the funding awardees by November 2016.
“The bipartisan MACRA legislation gave us the tools to improve Medicare and make it modern and sustainable by improving the incentives for, and lowering the burden on, clinicians,” Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, acting principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer for CMS, said in a press release. “Real change must start from the ground up, and today’s announcement recognizes this reality by getting doctors the resources they need to provide better, smarter care.”
Additional reading:
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/MACRA-MIPS-and-APMs/Quality-Payment-Program.html