CMS releases Quality Measure Development Plan in support of MACRA
As physicians study the Merit-based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models outlined in the newly proposed MACRA rule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released its finalized Quality Measure Development Plan in support of the new payment structure.
Both models for value-based reimbursement fulfill the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act's payment incentives for physicians and other clinicians.
The 80-page Quality Measure Development Plan is an essential aspect of this transition, said Kate Goodrich, director, Center for Clinical Standards and Quality for CMS. It provides the foundation for implementing measures to support MACRA's quality payment programs, she said.
[Also: Healthcare industry reacts to sweeping MACRA proposal, with its big changes for physician IT]
The measures are meaningful and applicable across payer and healthcare settings, requiring a partnership with patients, their families, frontline clinicians, and professional organizations, she said.
It takes into account feedback from 60 individuals and 150 organizations.
The plan refines quality measures to close performance gaps in clinical care; safety; care coordination; patient and caregiver experience; population health and prevention; and affordable care.
It improves alignment of measures in the Core Quality Measures Collaborative, a work group convened by AHIP. On February 16, CMS and the collaborative announced seven core measure sets to support multi-payer reporting across healthcare systems.
The plan reduces the administrative burden of quality measurement and ensures its relevance to clinical practices.
It gives consideration to patients and caregivers as a measure of development.
It increases coordination with federal agencies and other stakeholders to lessen duplication of effort and promote person-centered health care.
Its aim is to drive improvement in healthcare through the use of quality measures that are periodically assessed, CMS said.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
