Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act Eases Burdens on ACOs, Encourages Value-Based Care Model
Click here to watch Buchanan’s speech on the House floor
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, released the following statement after his bipartisan Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act (H.R. 5347) to improve digital reporting for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) passed the House of Representatives in a unanimous vote:
“I was proud to see my Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act, which eases the burden of new reporting mandates on value-based Medicare providers, pass the House today in a unanimous vote. By ensuring ACOs have access to multiple quality reporting pathways, my bipartisan legislation will reduce excess regulatory burden on ACOs and allow providers to focus on delivering high-quality, value-based care. I look forward to my bill being considered by my Senate colleagues and ensuring that it is signed into law to improve care, lower costs and make life easier for patients and doctors alike.”
Buchanan’s Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act allows for a wider variety of quality measure reporting methods for ACOs through 2029, including the currently in-place electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs). The bill also clarifies the application of data completeness requirements to ease regulatory burdens for ACOs and creates a digital quality measure pilot program.
“Medical providers, including those participating in Accountable Care Organizations, should not be distracted from providing better health care at a lower cost by uncertain Washington reporting rule,” said Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.). “The Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act puts patient care first by giving medical providers the stability and flexibility to report quality measures the way that suits them best and ensure a smooth transition to digital reporting methods. This policy is particularly helpful for small, rural, and independent physician practices who often lack the sophisticated software needed to comply with the digital reporting regime but are successful value-based care providers. I want to thank Vice Chairman and Health Subcommittee Chairman Buchanan for his leadership in ensuring that America’s health care providers can focus on caring for patients through chronic disease prevention instead of Washington paperwork mandates.”
The Healthcare Efficiency Through Flexibility Act is cosponsored by Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). It is supported by The National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS), America’s Physician Groups, Epic Systems, Oracle Health, Accountable for Health and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
“The National Association of ACOs applauds House leadership for advancing the Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act (H.R. 5347) through a suspension vote this week.” said Emily Brower, president and CEO of the National Association of ACOs. “The bill would help ease burdensome quality reporting requirements by directing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to pilot a new, more practical approach to digital quality reporting. This approach would align reporting mandates with accountable care organizations’ efforts to improve the quality of care and reduce administrative costs, allowing physicians and other clinicians to put more resources back into patient care. We appreciate the bipartisan Committee work and House leadership that has supported polices that reduce administrative burden for health care clinicians leading care transformation and caring for America’s seniors.”
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.
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