On Feb. 5, the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) submitted a comment letter to Acumen, LLC, a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) contractor, regarding cost measure development and potential opportunities for radiology.
In Dec. 2020, Acumen posted a Call for Public Comment on the development of episode-based cost measures for potential use in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) to meet the requirements of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). Acumen sought input from stakeholders surrounding which measures to develop for an upcoming cycle (Wave 4) and in future cycles. In the past, ACR members have participated in the measure development process as experts on Acumen clinical subcommittees.
In the comment letter to Acumen, the ACR expressed appreciation for Acumen and CMS continuing to work with stakeholders to develop cost measures. The ACR explained that the cost measures currently in MIPS are not typically attributed to radiology groups because the current measures structure often assess imaging costs but not radiological care. As a result, care provided by radiologists does not usually fit into a traditional MIPS episode framework, and there is no existing measurement for care coordination between radiology teams and other specialties. The ACR urged Acumen to consider developing cost measures that link to existing quality measures and outlined potential opportunities for radiology, including breast cancer screening and incidental imaging findings.
The ACR looks forward to continuing to work with Acumen on episode-based cost measure development and opportunities for radiologists’ participation in value-based care. Learn more on the CMS website.