UK Selected to Provide Support for Small Practices in CMS Quality Payment Program
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 2, 2017) — Altarum Institute, in partnership with the University of Kentucky, was awarded a contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help small practices in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Minnesota prepare for and participate in the new Quality Payment Program, established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).
UK will provide technical assistance, authorized and funded under MACRA, bringing direct support to thousands of Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians in small practices with 15 or fewer clinicians, including small practices in rural locations, health professional shortage areas, and medically underserved areas across the country. The direct technical assistance is available immediately, free to all MIPS eligible clinicians, and will deliver support for up to a five-year period.
“This work showcases the leadership and innovation of our research and allows UK HealthCare to be on the front line of the changes ahead in health care. This work will allow us to improve patient care and outcomes and improve overall health care value across this region,” said Rob Edwards, chief external affairs officer for UK HealthCare.
UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Regional Extension Center will be the group in charge of providing customized technical assistance to MIPS eligible clinicians across the Commonwealth as a part of the SURS program, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Conveying the MIPS expectations and timelines
- Explaining the MIPS feedback report
- Creating a MIPS-score improvement plan
- Evaluating practice readiness for joining an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM)
- Assessing and optimizing Health Information Technology
- Supporting change management and strategic planning
- Developing and disseminating education and training materials
- Enabling peer-to-peer learning and local partnerships
“The University of Kentucky is excited for the opportunity to be a key catalyst in innovation and research as we change the way health care is delivered and physicians are compensated. This work will ignite transformational change in one of the most underserved, economically challenged regions in the United States characterized by significant morbidity and mortality from chronic disease. The significance of this work for our region and the entire country cannot be overstated,” said Trudi Matthews, managing director of UK HealthCare's Kentucky Regional Extension Center.