The Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has issued a draft Proposal Review Process to review and recommend “physician-focused” Alternative Payment Models (APMs) for implementation through MACRA. The legislation established this Technical Advisory Committee of external subject matter experts to review and recommend APMs beyond what might be considered and recognized directly by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Committee is staffed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). With CMS’ publication of its proposed rule implementing MACRA, the role of this Technical Advisory Committee has received more attention.
Under the draft Proposal Review Process, the Technical Advisory Committee would accept ongoing submission of APM proposals (with no fixed deadlines or submission cycles). Proposals would undergo an ASPE staff review for completeness, then a preliminary review and scoring by 2-3 committee members, and finally, a review by the full committee. The full committee would make a recommendation about the proposal to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with a minority report if needed. Pubic comment would be invited for proposals reviewed by the full committee. Technical assistance would be offered by ASPE staff for incomplete proposals and proposals with technical deficiencies. The draft Proposal Review Process does not address the criteria for defining APMs since those are included in the MACRA statute, and further described in CMS’ proposed rule.
The Technical Advisory Committee discussed the draft Proposal Review Process and heard public comments about it at its meeting on May 4, 2016. Additional public comments may be submitted to the committee until May 13, 2016; comments may be sent by email to <PTAC@hhs.gov>.
Ignatius Bau 