Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) submitted the 2021 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule regulation to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the final stage of legal review before a regulation is released to the public. As in previous years, the proposed 2021 Medicare physician payment regulation is expected to be released sometime in June or July, followed by 60 days for public comment, and then issued as a final rule in late October or early November prior to a January 1, 2021 implementation date.
This year’s Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule is expected to include important updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP), Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), telehealth services program, Accountable Care Organization (ACO) program, and other quality and value-based payment programs. The rule is also expected to address “appropriate disincentives” for healthcare providers found to be in violation of ONC’s recent information blocking provisions.
As in the past, NextGen Healthcare will analyze the proposed rule, issue public comments, and provide guidance for clients on new policies as they relate to the use of health information technology.