Congressional Hearing on Medicare Physician Payment Reforms

• •The hearing was held on November 8, 2017, by the Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• •The primary subject was the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).
• •The discussion centered on 'Alternative Payment Models' (APMs) designed to shift Medicare from volume-based payments to value-based care.
• •The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) provided testimony on their role in evaluating new payment options.
• •Multiple medical professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians and the American Society for Radiation Oncology, submitted testimony regarding the impact of these payment reforms.

The hearing explores how Medicare pays doctors and hospitals, which directly impacts the financial incentives for medical providers and the structure of care delivery for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.