MACRA poses risks for physicians, patients

Editor's Note

Implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) could threaten physicians’ autonomy in making decisions for their patients, provide burdensome levels of documentation, and pressure some solo and small practices to close, according to an analysis in the July 23 Medical Economics.

MACRA also could contribute to physician burnout, increase the risk of medical errors, and decrease access to care.

The author notes that as the rules are finalized, physicians need to work to ensure the primary goal of MACRA is improved quality of care by focusing on three areas:

• Preservation of physician autonomy to exercise clinical judgment and deviate from standardized care if appropriate.
• State of the art IT to streamline data capture with seamless clinical decision support and increased “glance time.”
• Patient centered quality metrics as the bottom line.

As implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) draws near, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is drafting the rules that will accelerate the transformation of U.S. healthcare towards a so-called "value-based" model. This complex piece of legislation (962 pages!)