Advancing Value-Based Policy in Medicare Hospital and Clinical Services

The HQC is focused on the implementation of legacy and development emerging pay-for-performance policies and programs for hospitals and clinicians. Learn more about Hospital and Physician value-based programs and policies in Medicare.

Current Policy Initiatives

Medicare Part A: Hospital Services

Formed in the Affordable Care Act, the HQC advocates to reward value-based care, engaging on the implementation of Hospital Value-based Purchasing, Hospital Readmission Reduction, and Healthcare Acquired Conditions through the annual Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS).

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Medicare Part B: Physician and Clinician Services

During Affordable Care Act deliberations, the HQC urged Congress to link payment to quality and cost of care, resulting in the inclusion of the Physician Value Based Payment Modifier.

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Coalition Policy

To catch up on the HQC's latest policy work, download the testimonies, comments and letters PDFs below.

2018

October 26, 2018

Comments to the Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General on the Medicare and State Health Care Programs: Fraud and Abuse; Request for Information Regarding the Anti-Kickback Statute and Beneficiary Inducements Civil Monetary Penalty (RIN 0936-AA10).

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October 15, 2018

Regulatory comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the Medicare Shared Savings Accountable Care Organization program.

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September 10, 2018

Regulatory comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and Quality Payment Program.

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August 24, 2018

Regulatory comment letter in response to the Request for Information Regarding the Physician Self-Referral Law, known as the "Stark Law" (CMS-1720-NC).

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July 31, 2018

Testimony in for the Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health Hearing on Modernizing Stark Law to Ensure the Successful Transition from Volume to Value in the Medicare Program held on July 18.

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June 25, 2018

Comment letter in response to the FY 2018 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule on Hospital Value-based Purchasing, Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, Hospital-acquired Conditions penalty program, and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

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2017

November 20, 2017

Comment letter in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Request for Information on new direction.

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August 21, 2017

HQC submits comments on the implementation of the Quality Payment Program.

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June 5, 2017

HQC submits comments on the FY 2018 Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule on Hospital Value-based Purchasing, Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, Hospital-acquired Conditions penalty program, and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

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June 1, 2017

HQC submits testimony in response to the Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health on "Current Status of the Medicare Program, Payment Systems, and Extenders."

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2016

December 19, 2016

Comment letter on the CY 2017 final rule implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), focused on the implementation of the Medicare Part B Quality Payment Program.

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August 10, 2016

Comment letter on the CY 2017 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule.

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June 27, 2016

Comment letter on the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). Focus on the implementation of the Medicare Quality Payment Program (QPP): Merit-based incentive payment system (MIPS) and advanced Alternative Payment Models.

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June 16, 2016

Comment letter in response to the FY 2017 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule on Hospital Value-based Purchasing, Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, Hospital-acquired Conditions penalty program, and the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program.

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March 29, 2016

Testimony to the House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Hearing "Strengthening and Preserving Medicare."

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March 1, 2016

Comment letter in response to the CMS MACRA Quality Measure Development Plan.

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2015

November 17, 2015

Comment letter in response to the Request for Information implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.

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September 8, 2015

Comment letter in response to the Comprehensive Care Joint Replacement bundled payment proposal.

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September 8, 2015

Comment letter in response to the CY 2016 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule on the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier, Geographic Adjustment Policy, and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System.

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June 16, 2015

Comment letter in response to the FY 2016 Inpatient Prospective Payment Proposed Rule on Hospital Value-Based Purchasing, Hospital Readmissions Reduction, and Hospital-Acquired Conditions Program.

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March 25, 2015

Letter to the House of Representatives Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi in support of H.R. 2 - the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.

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February 6, 2015

Testimony in response to the House of Representatives Energy & Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health hearing "A Permanent Solution to the SGR: The Time is Now."

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2014

August 28, 2014

Comment letter in response to the CY 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule implementing the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier.

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June 27, 2014

HQC response to the request for comments relating to the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program described in the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule for FY 2015.

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2013

September 6, 2013

Comment letter in response to the CY 2014 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule implementing the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier.

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June 25, 2013

Comment letter in response to the FY 2014 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule implementing Hospital Value-based Purchasing, Hospital-Acquired Conditions, and Readmissions Reduction programs.

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May 30, 2013

Letter to the Senate Committee on Finance on the reforming the Sustainable Growth Rate spending formula in Medicare.

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April 15, 2013

Letter to the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and Energy and Commerce Committee on the reforming the Sustainable Growth Rate spending formula in Medicare.

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2012

September 4, 2012

Comment letter in response to the CY 2013 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule implementing the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier.

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June 25, 2012

HQC response to the request for comments relating to the hospital value-based purchasing (VBP) program described in the Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) proposed rule for FY 2013.

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