The American Medical Association and others are calling on Congress to stop the advanced Alternative Payment Model bonus payment cut that is scheduled to expire at the end of the year for most physicians.
The APM 5% incentive payment under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) was originally set to expire at the end of 2022, but the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended the bonus at 3.5% for the 2023 performance year, according to the AMA.
Only Advanced APM participants who meet certain thresholds will receive the 5% Medicare payment incentive. To qualify, physicians participating in an Advanced APM must receive either 50% of their payments or have 35% of their patients affiliated with the APM, Healthcare Finance reports.
This payment threshold is set to increase from 50% to 75% at the end of 2023, which will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for physicians to qualify for positive payment updates in the coming years, the AMA said. Read more.
