Around 44 percent of gastroenterologists report receiving fee-for-service reimbursement, meaning more than half participate in value-based care contracts, according to the Medscape Gastroenterologist Compensation Report 2018.
Here are five things to know.
1. The percentage of gastroenterologists participating in ACOs is dropping; in 2017, 40 percent of gastroenterologists reported participating in an ACO, which was a 6 percent increase over the previous year. However, in the 2018 survey, just 24 percent reported ACO participation.
2. Gastroenterologists had the largest percentage of specialists planning to participate in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System; 61 percent reported MIPS participation in 2018. In the 2017 report, 54 percent of gastroenterologists participated in MACRA, which includes MIPS as one of the advanced payment systems.
3. Three-quarters of gastroenterologists report being paid through insurance carriers, while 4 percent said they have a cash-only practice. Another 5 percent have direct primary care models.
4. Despite a high interest in MIPS participation, far fewer gastroenterologists expect to participate in advanced payment modes. Five percent of gastroenterologists expect to participate in APMs, which are often implemented in large organizations.
5. Most gastroenterologists, 80 percent, plan to continue taking new Medicare and Medicaid patients in the coming year, and 41 percent participate in the health insurance exchanges.