Dive Brief:
- HHS announced Monday a five-year funding initiative totaling $100 million to help small practices prepare for the Quality Payment Program proposed to implement the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).
- The funding will support hands-on training and education for Medicare clinicians in individual and small group practices of 15 clinicians or fewer, especially in rural communities and other historically under-resourced areas.
- Organizations that receive funding will help small practices work through issues related to success in the QPP, such as deciding which quality measures or electronic health record (EHR) best meet their specific needs.
Dive Insight:
Organizations will also train clinicians on new clinical practice improvement activities and how they can mesh with workflow, and help them assess options for joining an Alternative Payment Model.
“Providing these tools to help physicians and other clinicians in small practices navigate new programs is key to making sure they are able to focus on what is most important: the needs of their patients,” B. Vindell Washington, principal deputy national coordinator at HHS' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), said in a statement.
“As with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's funding for regional extension centers, this assistance will help health care providers leverage health information technology to enhance their practices and the care they deliver,” he added.
HHS will mete the funds out in $20 million increments over five years to help small practices participate in the QPP, as required by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, and training will be provided to practices at no cost.
HHS urged qualified organizations to apply. The awardees will be announced by November.