In the future, you probably won't be paid simply for what you do. Increasingly, physician anesthesiologists receive payment through arrangements that tie dollars to quality, outcomes, and value. This shift toward value-based payment has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Payment and Practice Management column in the August 2019 edition of this publication scanned the Alternative Payment Model (APM) horizon. Much has changed since then and many ASA members remain confused about APMs. This article provides an updated overview about the APM horizon and spotlights what ASA committees and staff are doing to ensure physician anesthesiologists are prepared to participate actively and meaningfully in APMs and other value-based arrangements. This article focuses on Medicare APMs. Commercial APMs will be covered in future articles.
The 2015 passage of the landmark Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) created the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP is pivotal in the attempt...
