As this practice becomes fully connected to the RISE registry, Dr. Kazi anticipates further improvements in patient care, closing gaps in care and engaging patients in their own care by having valuable dashboards to improve the delivery of effective care. “We will also be better positioned to assess and improve the MACRA-related reimbursement. The ACR has been instrumental in supporting practices by a combination of understanding the local microenvironment, and creating a nimble and agile product [the registry] to enable this transformation in care delivery,” Dr. Kazi says.
Dr. Huston agrees. “RISE has been extremely helpful in supporting and improving our reporting requirements in the MIPS program, and ACR outreach and educational programs have helped to better understand MACRA and predict its affect before the program started.” This support has helped Dr. Huston and his practice be “prepared and engaged in efforts to achieve success in the era of MACRA and value-based payment.”
From the perspective of reducing administrative burdens, Matthew Behrens, compliance manager for Rheumatology Associates in Dallas, says participation with the RISE registry “has made submitting our data for MIPS easy, especially with the support we get from the ACR. This participation has allowed us to surpass our goal for the first year of MIPS implementation.”
RISE data also help the ACR develop quality measures that rheumatologists could choose to use for future value-based reimbursement in MACRA. ACR specialists, including Ryan Larosa, are available for individualized assistance navigating MACRA.
“The ACR is only a phone call or an email away from helping. Contact someone at the ACR or visit the website,” Dr. Huston suggests. He points to an enormous breadth and depth of information on the ACR website available to members.
One area of the website Dr. Edgerton suggests members become more familiar with is the committee structure, committee progress updates and committee members. He encourages members to email him or any member of CORC with concerns or questions. He also stresses the value of volunteering with the ACR. “It is through volunteering that one best understands the power of the ACR in supporting rheumatology practices.”
Dr. Worthing agrees. He would be thrilled to provide an update on current rheumatology-oriented legislation and regulation, and the practice and advocacy resources available from the ACR to academic, state and local rheumatology society meetings. Members can contact Dr. Worthing with requests for advocacy update presentations and questions.
Additional Resources
Read the ACR’s health policy statements and position statements to learn more about the official position the College takes on these and other critical elements of rheumatology practice.
