MACRA Finalized, Changes To Medicare Payment System Start January 2017

On October 14, 2016, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released final rules to implement the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which will transform how Medicare pays physicians, in a shift from fee-for-service (FFS) to value-based alternative payment models (APMs). The new approach goes into effect on January 1, 2017. It affects about 600,000 clinical professionals who provide Part B services to Medicare beneficiaries. The federal budget for fiscal year 2017 projects $192.9 billion in gross fee‑for‑service spending for Medicare Part B.

The structure under MACRA . . .