AAPM&R Voices Physiatry’s Concerns of Proposed MACRA Rule

June 28, 2016

On April 27, 2016, a proposed rule was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that signifies the most extensive change in physician payment policies in the last 2 decades. Your Academy worked diligently to read and synthesize the information to determine how it will impact physiatry. On June 27, 2016, your Academy took a stand for the specialty and submitted comments to CMS on the proposed rule.

In the comment letter, your Academy made numerous recommendations to CMS that are impactful for physiatry, including:

1. Do not begin the first MACRA performance period until July 1, 2017 and allow for an initial six-month reporting period. 
2. Explicitly recognize continuing medical education (CME) activities provided by a nationally-recognized accreditor as a clinical practice improvement activity.
3. Provide as much flexibility as possible for APM participants to meet thresholds so that they may achieve the participation levels.

To make sure the voice of physiatry is heard, your Academy also signed on to 3 other comment letters:

1. American Medical Association

2. Group of Pain Specialty Societies (including the American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, North American Neuromodulation Society, and Spine Intervention Society)

3. Physician Clinical Registry Coalition

The final rule is due to be released in the fall. Until then, learn more:

• Read AAPM&R's comment letter.
• Learn more about the proposed rule.
• Watch a video primer on MACRA.