AMGA Urges House to Pass CHRONIC Care Act of 2017

Source: American Medical Group Association

Washington, D.C. - October 26, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- AMGA urged U.S. House of Representatives Leadership to pass the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017. The AMGA-endorsed legislation, which passed the Senate in September, would significantly strengthen and improve the care of the chronically ill.

In the letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and Assistant Democratic Leader James Clyburn (D-SC), AMGA detailed provisions that will improve health outcomes. Specifically, the legislation would enhance AMGA members’ ability to manage patient populations by making a number of improvements. These include:

Allowing for prospective assignment in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs)

Encourage coordinated care by allowing certain ACOs to provide patient engagement incentives, such as offering up to $20 for a primary care service to beneficiaries

Provide greater beneficiary access to telehealth services by expanding payments for these services

“Care coordination is extremely important for those with chronic illnesses and diseases,” said Jerry Penso, M.D., M.B.A., AMGA president and CEO. “AMGA members, many who participate in our programs focused on chronic care such as

Together 2 Goal, are implementing team-based care processes that lead to better, coordinated, care, yet more can be done. The improvements included in the CHRONIC Care Act would provide clinicians with the tools needed to enhance care for the chronically ill. We urge the House to act swiftly and pass the bipartisan CHRONIC Care Act.”

AMGA’s letter is available by clicking HERE

AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate, and empower our members to deliver the next level of high performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of medical groups’ recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high-quality, cost-effective care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three Americans.