Patrick Ryan, MD, FACS, founder of Nashville Vascular & Vein Institute, is the co-author of an article printed in the July issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery: Venous and Lymphatic Disorders (JVS-VL) discussing the looming 4 percent payment penalty for healthcare providers accepting Medicare.

Ryan, who serves on two national committees focused on quality outcomes within the field of vascular medicine, co-wrote the peer-reviewed piece with colleagues from Tampa, Chicago and Los Angeles regarding new requirements under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which requires providers who receive payments from Medicare to participate in a quality-based program during 2017 in order to avoid a 4 percent payment penalty in 2019. While still possible for physicians to meet one of the three options under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), the authors warned time is ticking since two of the options require 90 days of data.

In late June, CMS issued a proposed rule that would make changes in the second year of MACRA to simplify the program, especially for small, independent, and rural practices, while ensuring fiscal sustainability and high-quality care within Medicare. The proposed program updates are designed to increase flexibility and reduce burdens by simplifying reporting requirements in 2018. For more information on the CMS proposed rule, see the regulatory section of NashvilleMedicalNews.com.