Legislative and Regulatory work

The Physician Value Modifier tied a percent of Medicare Part B payment for an individual or group of physician's care to measures of cost and quality. The beginning of the program built on and extended the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) from a pay for reporting program to pay for performance. The HQC closely followed the implementation of this program and provided comprehensive, detailed comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The enactment of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in 2015 sunsetted the Value Modifier Program, and replaced with Quality Payment Program (QPP). The QPP has two payment "tracks": the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). As a policy priority, under the goal of moving the nation forward to value-based payment and care delivery, the HQC continues to urge CMS to focus on measures of clinical outcomes, invest in new APM options, and improving existing models. Learn more about the Quality Payment Program.