The Medical Group Management Association on Sept. 12 penned a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure asking for certain provisions to be implemented to ease the economic burdens on physician practices.
Four key recommendations from MGMA, which represents more than 15,000 medical groups comprising more than 350,000 physicians:
1. Offset the proposed 4.42 percent reduction to the Medicare physician conversion factor due to budget neutrality requirements and the expiration of the 3 percent positive adjustment to the conversion factor appropriated by Congress in 2021.
2. Waive the 4 percent statutory Pay-As-You-Go sequester, which was implemented to offset other congressional spending unrelated to the delivery of healthcare. The MGMA believes the healthcare community should not be penalized for increasing funding in other sectors.
3. Pass the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 to make key changes to prior authorization programs in the Medicare Advantage program. Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs at MGMA, said prior authorization reform is "long overdue" and this legislation would put "commonsense guardrails" around prior authorization programs in Medicare Advantage, increasing transparency, decreasing unnecessary administrative burdens and preventing disruptions to care.
4. Extend the 5 percent alternative payment model incentive payment for six more years through the 2028 performance year/2030 payment year. Mr. Gilberg said this legislation will support the transition to value-based care.