“Medgen EHR Makes MACRA Sense…”

Healthcare, like many other industries, is going through a transformation as technology becomes more affordable and big data becomes more useful. As a result, this healthcare IT crossover has led to several relatively new regulations that force providers to work closely with their associated IT teams. Many are struggling with the Transition.

If you’re in the healthcare industry, you’re likely familiar with MACRA – or the Medicare Access and CHIP Re-authorization Act of 2015, MACRA is not easy but it needn't be a burden. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposed rules designed to fundamentally change the way Medicare reimburses physicians for care. The new rule aims to move our healthcare system from a fee-for-service approach to fee for value-based care and aimed at improving patient health. MACRA adds to the long list of regulatory mandates that practices already need to comply with. The law is applicable to roughly 55 million clinicians (eligible medical personnel under MACRA) that include physicians, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists and physician assistants. MACRA measures are converted to a point-based system. Using points, doctors are compared to other doctors. A score is derived based on what they could’ve done vs what they did. That finally determines how much someone makes. MACRA combines various incentive programs into one, this compilation is the “Merit Based Incentive PaymentSystem,” which emphasizes better quality of care standards for practices using certified EHR technology.

The good news is, MIPS offers physicians’ much-needed flexibility by relaxing some of the previous requirements for certification and reporting measures. Policymakers took industry feedback into account when creating the regulation. MIPS measures falls into three main categories. ‘Quality', 'Advancing Care Information and Improvement Activities. There is a fourth category 'Cost' but CMS will reinstate it in 2018.MIPS calculates a Composite Performance Score (CPS) based on these three performance categories: Quality, ACI and CPIA. Because each category has different weights per reporting year, MIPS report card within Medgen EHR, as well as detailed training documentation and personalized consultation with our Incentive Program experts, will assist Eligible Clinicians to determine their total MIPS Composite Performance Score.

Medgen EHR also feature a built-in, easy-to-read report card to show you how you are performing in MIPS. Each measure is broken down into the following sections: Quality (60%) Advancing Care Information (25%) & Improvement Activity (15%).

When you spend hours figuring out rules and compliance, you are basically taking away hours that could have been spent on providing quality care to patients. MIPS relies on the synchronization of technology and healthcare. MIPS doesn’t have to be a four-letter word. Having Medgen EHR in place in your practice will help you excel under the new landscape of value-based care.

We’re here to help! We’re offering consultation to our clients who need help in MIPS. Call me today and we can get started.

Anthony Caruso 585.704.3966