CMS Finalizes Policies that Reduce Provider Burden, Lower Drug Prices

PRESS RELEASE  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 2, 2017 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries CMS Finalizes Policies that Reduce Provider Burden, Lower Drug Prices 2018 Quality Payment Program and Physician Fee Schedule finalized  Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for the 2018 Physician Fee Schedule and final rule with comment period for the Quality Payment Program (QPP). While part of CMS’s broader strategy to relieve regulatory burdens for providers, these rules also reflect the agency’s efforts to promote innovation in healthcare delivery aimed at lowering prices, increasing competition and strengthening the relationship between patients and their doctors. “During my visits with clinicians across the country, I’ve heard many concerns about the impact burdensome regulations have on their ability to care for patients,” said Seema Verma, Administrator of CMS. “These rules move the agency in a new direction and begin to ease that burden by strengthening the patient-doctor relationship, empowering patients to realize the value of their care over volume of tests, and encouraging innovation and competition within the American healthcare system.” As part of the President’s priority to reduce drug costs for Americans, CMS is taking an important step in the Physician Fee Schedule to modernize the Medicare payment system through innovation in the biopharmaceutical market. Beginning in 2018, CMS will update payment for biosimilars, which are lower-cost alternatives to certain types of drugs known as “biologicals.” This change promotes competition to ensure millions of patients will have access to new lower cost therapies. To strengthen access to care, especially for those living in rural areas, CMS is transforming access to Medicare telehealth services by paying for more services and making it easier for providers to bill for these services. Improving access to telehealth services reflects CMS’s work to modernize Medicare payments to promote patient-centered innovations. Additionally, this rule includes a number of policies designed to provide clinicians with a smoother transition to the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP final rule includes policies that reduce burden and support clinicians in small and rural practices to successfully participate in this program. CMS is decreasing the number of clinicians required to participate.   To further ease clinician burden, CMS is adding an option to help clinicians and small, rural practices join together and share the responsibility of participating in value-based payments. CMS is also adding a new hardship exception to assist small practices and clinicians impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. This change mitigates the absence of Electronic Health Records as a result of the natural disasters. The final rule provides additional detail on clinician participation in Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Clinicians can receive credit for payment bonuses through participation in these APMs. In keeping with its theme of innovation in healthcare delivery, CMS intends to develop a demonstration project testing the effects of counting as credit participation prior to 2019 and through 2024 in Medicare Advantage plans that meet certain criteria.  The Physician Fee Schedule final rule (CMS-1676-F) can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-23953.pdf. For a fact sheet on the Physician Fee Schedule final rule, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-11-02.html. The Quality Payment Program final rule with comment period (CMS-5522-FC and CMS-5522-IFC) can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-24067.pdf. For a fact sheet on the Quality Payment Program final rule with comment period, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Payment-Program/resource-library/QPP-Year-2-Final-Rule-Fact-Sheet.pdf. ###  Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgovPress