Physician-focused payment models may be the best fit for radiology's participation in alternative payment structures under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), according to a study published online February 1 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
These kinds of models offer radiologists the opportunity to demonstrate their contributions to patient care and be rewarded for them, said researchers from the American College of Radiology (ACR) Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute (HPI).
"MACRA will look to increasingly shift physicians into alternative payment models that incentivize quality and value," noted lead author Dr. Andrew Rosenkrantz of NYU Langone Medical Center in a statement released by HPI.
Physician-focused payment structures target the quality and cost of physician services and are intended to encompass a wider range of specialties, the group wrote.
"Radiologists should embrace this new model and actively partner with other stakeholders, including health services researchers, in developing radiology-relevant physician-focused payment models," said Dr. Bibb Allen Jr., chair of the Neiman institute, in the HPI statement.
