Government Too Lax on Push to Value-Based Care, Doctor Says

Federal health officials are allowing too many doctors to skirt Medicare quality payment program rules, undermining their effectiveness, the head of an influential doctors’ group told lawmakers July 26.

Nearly 60 percent of providers will be excluded from one of the main federal Medicare quality payment programs, which likely saved more than 500,000 doctors from penalties but slashed the bonus payments for high performers, said Ashok Rai, chairman of the board for the American Medical Group Association. Under that program, known as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, doctors who meet certain performance measures can receive Medicare bonuses, partly paid for ...