6 insights on physicians facing 2% cuts in Medicare payments in 2017

In 2017, almost 500 clinicians, including nearly 250,000 physicians, will face a 2 percent reduction in Medicare payments because they failed to meet Physician Quality Reporting System requirements in 2015, according to Medscape.

Here are six insights:

1. Officials say the revenue cut will be minor as nearly 230,000 of the clinicians facing penalties accrued $10,000 or less in Medicare-allowed charges in 2015. Based on the same level of charges in 2017, a 2 percent reduction equates to $200.

2. Nearly 64,200 clinicians facing the penalty had Medicare charges surpassing $100,000 in 2015 and therefore will likely have to pay more than $2,000 in 2017.

3. Of clinicians facing a 2 percent penalty this year, the majority did not submit any quality data to Medicare for 2015.

4. In 2015, 98 percent of clinicians did not participate in PQRS. This figure totaled 79 percent in 2017.

5. In 2013, 51 percent of clinicians were eligible for PQRS participation with this figure hitting 69 percent in 2015.

6. While 87 percent of pathologists participate in PQRS, only 39 percent of psychiatrists participate.

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