The AASM has signed onto an American Medical Association (AMA) letter urging Congress to pass legislation to prioritize flexibility in the implementation of the Quality Payment Program (QPP) authorized by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

Current flexibility in weighting the performance categories under MACRA will expire by statute in 2019 unless Congress takes action. The letter strongly encourages the continuation of the statute that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is currently using for an additional three years. The signees of the letter also are calling for the Physician-focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) to provide technical assistance to entities developing Advanced Payment Models (APMs).

On Oct. 4, 2017, the letter was sent to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, House Committee on Ways and Means, and Senate Committee on Finance for their consideration.

Learn more about MACRA.