Medical Association Urges CMS to Reduce EHR and MU Burden on Physicians

The Medical Association has joined forces with the American Medical Association, Medical Group Management Association and 85 other medical groups to urge Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reduce electronic health record and meaningful use requirements on physicians.

In a letter to new CMS Administrator Seema Verma, the groups first welcomed the new administration’s emphasis on reducing regulatory burdens on the house of medicine by acknowledging that the passage of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, or MACRA, and the existing value-based purchasing programs affecting physicians, such as Meaningful Use, Physician Quality Reporting System and Value-based Payment Modifier needing streamlining and alignment. However, the administration was urged to take steps to address these same challenges in MU, PQRS and VM prior to their replacement by MACRA and minimize the penalties assessed for physicians who tried to participate in these programs.

“Eligible providers should not be penalized for focusing on providing quality patient care rather than the arbitrary ‘check the box’ requirements of MU. Creating an administrative burden hardship exemption would provide immediate relief for those impacted by the programs that predate MACRA,” the letter stated. “As indicated in the MACRA law and final regulations, policymakers in Congress and the Administration clearly understand that fair and accurate measurement of physicians’ performance will not be possible until better tools become available. We also believe the steps we have outlined are in keeping with President Trump’s efforts to reduce regulatory burden.”

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