The GOP Doctors Caucus is calling for less burdensome reporting, more flexibility and transparency, and a shorter reporting period for physicians in the final MACRA rule, according to a letter sent by the organization to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt and Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan.
According to the Caucus, MIPS is too complex. To assist physicians in understanding their performance ratings, they asked for detailed and timely feedback reports that include specific causes for penalty assessments, reporting rates for each measure and any errors in data that were received. In correlation to those, they also requested a transparent appeals process that is readily available to physicians.
"A transparent process with detailed reports will aid providers to more quickly rectify inaccuracies in their data, and enhance their ability to submit timely appeals before payment reductions are applied...In the past eligible professionals, were left to decipher this rationale on their own, taking valuable time and resources away from patient care, " the letter said.
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Following behind other industry groups, the group conceded that the newly proposed "pick your pace" proposal is moving in the right direction in terms of assuaging widespread anxiety over the MACRA timeline. However, they also asked CMS to adopt a 90-day reporting period for the Advancing Care Information category of MIPS, instead of the year-long stretch spelled out in the proposed MACRA rule.
"A shorter reporting period would ensure that more providers are able to successfully make the transition to MIPS, upgrade their EHR technology and meet the new Stage 3 measures by 2018," the Caucus said.
The Caucus isn't the only group lamenting the delay in implementation of virtual groups. Other organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians are also pushing for the establishment of virtual groups as soon as possible, even though CMS has said the earliest they'll see that implemented is 2018.
[Also: Doctors already burned out over policy requirements as MACRA rollout looms, survey finds]
The Caucus, like others, says virtual groups are necessary, especially to help ensure the success of smaller practices under MACRA, the group said.
Finally, the Caucus recommended lowering both the patient minimum thresholds to a maximum of 50 percent to reduce the administrative burden of doctors and allow for flexibility in quality reporting. They also called on CMS to low-volume threshold for Medicare patients be raised considerably in the final rule. Currently the threshold sits at $10,000 for physicians to be exempt from MIPS and fewer than 100 unique Medicare patients.
Increasing the threshold would provide a greater safety net for small providers, the Caucus said.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn