Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

ACP says current restructuring won't do enough to breach 'quality chasm'

Despite talk of big Midicare reforms, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could be missing the boat when helping improve patient care.

In a policy framework released Feb. 2, the American College fo Physicians(ACP) offered some ideas on how Medicare can make things easier for physicians.

Paperwork vs. patient care:  In the report, ACP said that Medicare's "excessive" paperwork requirements do not allow physicians enough time to sustain the level of communication and trust that leads to better care and fewer medical errors.  "The current system encourages a defensive, distrustful and adversarial relationship between patients and their physicians," said ACP President Charles Francis.

Pay today, gone tomorrow:  While Congress plans to pass another short-term pay increase this year, a 5 percent payment cut still looms.  The ACP says that policymakers need to act immediately "to permanently stabilize Medicare physician payments."

Incentives to get wired:  How can practices become more innovative?  The ACP proposes a National Health Information Incentive Act to fund physicians who invest in electronic medical records and other technology that fosters quality improvement.

Get serious about pay for performance:  The ACP complains that Medicare's pay-for-performance demonstration covers only a small number of practices in four states-and not all will be eligible for bonuses.  Instead:  CMS should include more doctors in more states-and incentives for all. 

To read the "Report on the State of the Union's Health Care," go to www.acponline.org/hpp/state_nation05.pdf.