AAPM&R joined the Physician Clinical Registry Coalition (PCRC), representing clinician-led clinical data registries, in responding to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) request for information on deregulation. PCRC urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to rescind several burdensome Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) policies that hinder the ability of registries to improve healthcare quality.
PCRC argues that certain MIPS policies—such as those related to data validation, measure testing, harmonization, scoring, mandatory MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs) and subgroup reporting—impose excessive financial and administrative burdens. The letter emphasizes that participation in MIPS Value Pathways should remain voluntary. PCRC also calls for CMS to waive costly fees for accessing Medicare data through the Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC), which currently limits registries’ access to critical claims data. PCRC emphasizes the importance of supporting registries to sustain their role in quality improvement and clinical research. Questions regarding these comments can be directed to the Academy’s Health Policy department at healthpolicy@aapmr.org.