AMGA Announces MACRA And Risk Initiative

AMGA recently launched its MACRA and Risk Initiative to help its members prepare for and succeed under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and in all risk-based payment systems. Resources developed for the initiative are accessible at amga.org/macra.

MACRA changes Medicare’s physician financing model in the most significant and far-reaching way since the program’s inception in 1965. It repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula, and presents two pathways for taking on risk in the Medicare program: a new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). The legislation marks a clear movement toward healthcare organizations taking more risk for the quality and efficiency of the care they provide to Medicare patients.

“AMGA members are the leaders in providing the best care in America, and MACRA presents significant challenges to healthcare financing. We are making it our priority to ensure our members have the tools necessary to meet the challenge of new and rapidly approaching payment models,” said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., CAE, AMGA’s president and chief executive officer.

AMGA’s MACRA and Risk Initiative leverages the association’s extensive expertise in providing advocacy, tools, and resources to help its members navigate the movement from volume-based to value-based care. The initiative also provides peer-to-peer learning and expertise, with sessions led by AMGA members who have faced the transformation to risk. Among the resources available to healthcare provider organizations are best practices summaries and white papers, educational meetings and webinars, tools such as infographics and slides, as well as workshops and consulting services.

“Our initiative provides the opportunity for leaders of medical groups and integrated systems of care to learn from each other and share knowledge about what is working in preparing for MACRA and risk-based payment systems,” noted Chester A. Speed, J.D., LL.M., vice president, public policy at AMGA.

AMGA will continue to update information on amga.org/macra and roll out additional programs related to MACRA and risk.

About AMGA
AMGA is a 501(c)(6) trade association representing medical groups, health systems, and other organized systems of care, including some of the nation's largest, most prestigious integrated delivery systems. AMGA is a leading voice in advocating for efficient, team-based, and accountable care. AMGA members encompass all models of organized systems of care in the healthcare industry, including: physician-owned, independent group practices, integrated delivery systems, hospital-affiliated medical groups, independent practice associations (IPAs), academic and faculty practices, accountable care organizations, and high-performing health systems. Approximately 170,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for 120 million patients (approximately one in three Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance. For more information, visit amga.org.