WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, announced that he introduced the bipartisan Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act to improve digital reporting across the healthcare sector.
The legislation delays implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule requiring Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), groups of healthcare providers who offer quality care to Medicare recipients, transition to electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). eCQMs are standardized electronic measures used to measure the quality of healthcare provided. The proposed transition places a significant cost and burden on ACOs and their participants for a temporary solution that will not be applicable by 2030.
“The shift to new healthcare reporting measures must not place undue burden on Medicare providers or jeopardize value-based care,” said Buchanan. “A temporary reporting solution will only serve as a Band-Aid, adding additional paperwork and bureaucracy. By delaying implementation and piloting new digital reporting methods, the Healthcare Through Flexibility Act will help ensure a smoother, more efficient transition to a more fully interoperable health system.”
Buchanan’s bill is co-sponsored by Democrat Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw. The legislation has also received support from Accountable for Health, Advocate Health, Duke Health, Novant Health, WakeMed, FirstHealth, Cone Health and the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS).
“The move to a temporary reporting system would add additional paperwork and hinder Medicare providers and their goal to fully digitalize reporting by 2030,” said Rep. Panetta. “The Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act would prevent that change, reduce bureaucracy, and allow providers to, instead, focus on delivering quality care. This bipartisan bill is about cutting red tape, supporting our providers, and strengthening Medicare for the long term.”
“I am glad to join Health Subcommittee Chair Buchanan in introducing this important legislation to delay a burdensome rule from the Biden Administration. In order to improve patient care we need to avoid adding unreasonable reporting requirements for physicians. This legislation gives us time to successfully transition to health care that is paid for based on quality and good outcomes,” said Rep. Crenshaw.
“The transition to eCQMs holds great promise for enhancing reporting and data sharing across health care providers to improve patient care. However, this transformation must be done in a thoughtful manner that is achievable for all types of organizations pursuing the shift to accountable care. This legislation provides a glidepath for adoption that will lead to smoother implementation and greater overall success in fostering an interoperable, accountable health care system by 2030,” said Mara McDermott, CEO, Accountable for Health.
“Delaying the eCQM requirements will provide CMS and ACOs with the additional time needed to work through implementation challenges and ensure accurate quality data is used in assessments. We are very thankful to Reps. Buchanan, Panetta and Crenshaw for addressing this unnecessary regulation,” said a spokesperson for Advocate Health.
“Physicians, clinicians, and health systems within ACOs are eager to embrace digital quality measurement approaches that enable real-time performance monitoring and streamlined data reporting. However, the requirements set forth by CMS remain costly, burdensome, and extend reporting accountability to populations beyond the ACO. These challenges have consequences. At Trinity Health, small independent primary care practices withdrew from our ACOs due to the overwhelming technical demands. The National Association of ACOs and its members strongly support this legislation which would address critical obstacles before implementing a program-wide mandate,” said Emily Brower, Senior Vice President of Clinical Integration and Physician Services, Trinity Health, and Incoming CEO, National Association of ACOs (NAACOS).
In addition to being the Vice Chairman and most senior Republican on the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan is also the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, which has broad jurisdiction over traditional Medicare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit program and Medicare Advantage.
