MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015) also referred to as the “Permanent Doc Fix”, is the largest healthcare reform in the United States since Obamacare was enacted in 2010. The Act makes significant changes to the way Medicare doctors are reimbursed by rewarding quality care over volume and by repealing the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. Additionally, the Act establishes the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) which combines existing quality reporting programs into a single system. MACRA also extends the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and provides bonus payments for physicians that participate in eligible alternative payment models (APMs).
