March 13, 2023
The Honorable Chiquita Brooks-LaSure
Administrator
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Department of Health and Human Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Re: CMS–0057–P. Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes for Medicare Advantage Organizations, Medicaid Managed Care Plans, State Medicaid Agencies, Children's Health Insurance Program Agencies and CHIP Managed Care Entities, Issuers of Qualified Health Plans on the Federally-Facilitated Exchanges, Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Eligible Clinicians, and Eligible Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program
Dear Administrator Brooks-LaSure:
On behalf of our member medical group practices, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) appreciates the opportunity to provide comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (proposed rule) outlining proposals to advance interoperability and improve prior authorization (PA). Further, we are encouraged that CMS included Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in the scope of this rule and thank the agency for addressing overdue prior authorization reform in both this proposed rule and the 2024 Part C/D proposed rule.
With a membership of more than 60,000 medical practice administrators, executives, and leaders, MGMA represents more than 15,000 medical groups in which more than 350,000 physicians practice. These groups range from small private practices in rural areas to large regional and national health systems, and cover the full spectrum of physician specialties and organizational forms, making MGMA well-positioned to offer the following feedback.