UCA Seeks Accommodations for Small Practices in Proposed CMS Payments System

A new payment system being considered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will have to make more accommodations for smaller practices—such as many urgent care centers—if there’s any hope of it succeeding, according to comments the Urgent Care Association (UCA) submitted to CMS. In its current form, the Merit-Based Incentive Payments System (MIPS) would require some clinicians to get an exemption from MIPS by participating in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model or by meeting CMS’s suggested low-volume threshold (having Medicare billing charges of no more than $10,000 and providing care for no more than 100 Medicare Part B enrollees). UCA warned that urgent care centers may be forced to limit their Medicare patient mix if that system proves too costly or burdensome. A final rule is expected to be unveiled in the fall. The full text of UCA’s letter is available here.