Opportunities for small GI practices under MACRA: 4 notes

Understanding the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act of 2015 is especially important for small gastroenterology practices looking to mitigate price compression, according to a recent series of practice management articles by the American Gastroenterology Association.

Here's what you need to know:

1. MACRA has two payment pathways: Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Model. Gastroenterology practices that are not ACOs nor eligible for APM will be required to participate in MIPS.

2. Lawrence R. Kosinski, MD, of the Elgin-based Illinois Gastroenterology Group noted that even practices that are not eligible for APM might benefit from developing the infrastructure for a future APM.

3. Dr. Kosinski also emphasized that gastroenterology practices must be adaptable. For example, the new colorectal cancer screening recommendation statement from the United States Preventive Services Task Force included various techniques, aside from the traditional optical colonoscopy. To succeed, gastroenterologists may need to embrace these different techniques.

4. As the industry shifts away from traditional specialist fee-for-service reimbursement, using bundled payments for colorectal cancer screening, gastroesophageal reflux disease and obesity might prove useful as a new source for revenue, according to Geetanjali Akerkar, MD, of the Chelmsford, Mass.-based Digestive Health Specialists.

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