News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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MACRA and Other Healthcare Reforms Cause Nearly Half of Physicians Surveyed to ‘Accelerate’ their Retirement Plans

Many pathologists and other physicians are accelerating their retirement plans as they become familiar with how MACRA, MIPS, and ADM will change the way the Medicare Program pays for physician professional services

Will Medicare’s make-over to how it pays physicians accelerate the retirement of more doctors—including pathologists? That’s the question many experts are asking as the nation’s physicians learn more about the rule to implement the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), with its Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) programs.

With the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expected this fall to finalize changes in how physicians—including pathologists—get paid for Medicare services, it appears many physicians are considering retirement, rather than contend with Quality Payment Program (QPP) rules for a new value-based reimbursement system and other healthcare reforms.

The Physicians Foundation’s latest biennial survey, “2016 Survey of America’s Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives,” indicated that 46.8% of physicians plan to “accelerate” their retirement plans due to changes taking place in healthcare. That number rises to 50% among doctors age 46 and older, and to 54.2% among physicians who own their own practices. (more…)

Attention Anatomic Pathologists: Do You Know Medicare Is Prepared to Change How You Are Paid, Beginning on January 1, 2017?

Because of MIPS (a section of Medicare’s MACRA law), in coming years pathologists who participate will receive a bonus of as much as 9%, while those who do not participate will be penalizing up to 9%

If you are an anatomic pathologist, are you prepared to be paid more by Medicare starting on January 1, 2017? Do you and your pathology practice administrator know that, if you and your pathology group do nothing in 2017, Medicare could pay you significantly less in 2019 and the years beyond?

Answer no to either question and you have money at risk. In 2017, Medicare introduces a new payment program called the Merit-based Incentive Performance System (MIPS). This was authorized as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which was passed in 2015. (more…)

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