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AAFP must educate, prepare members for MACRA, said AAFP Executive VP

ORLANDO, Fla. – “Job one for AAFP and our chapters over the next 12 to 24 months” is to educate American Academy of Family Physicians members about MACRA, said Douglas E. Henley, MD, AAFP executive vice president, in his prepared remarks before the Congress of Delegates.

Henley said that 5 years ago he had addressed the Congress of Delegates and said then “that payment reform in health care is a train that has left the station and the medical home transformation remains the best preparation for this transition from fee-for-service reimbursement based on volume to alternative payment models based on value.”

He noted that for many AAFP members this reform has not arrived in a meaningful way.

“It is happening and implementation of MACRA will only further accelerate this transition that can better support the transformation and sustainability of family medicine practices,” he said in the prepared remarks.

Earlier this year, Healio Family Medicine reported results from a survey that found that about half of physicians participating in the survey were unaware of the upcoming update in the Medicare Access and CHP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

Henley addressed this knowledge gap.

“Because MACRA points the way to these new payment models, there should be no doubt that informing, educating and preparing our members for MACRA is job one for AAFP ants our chapters,” he said. “It is also important that we call out CMS to improve the proposed rule, especially as it relates to solo and small independent practices.”

“We have been bold and feisty,” he said noting that CMS listened to physicians’ opinions and pushed back participation and penalties. Two weeks before Healio Family Medicine reported this ‘pick your pace’ option change for 2017. – by Joan-Marie Stiglich, ELS