MGMA statement on information blocking disincentives final rule (June 24, 2024)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 24, 2024

Media Contact:
Emily Dowsett
Director, Policy Communications
edowsett@mgma.com
 

MGMA statement on information blocking disincentives final rule

Anders Gilberg
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Medical Group Management Association

“While MGMA recognizes the need to establish appropriate disincentives for healthcare providers who commit information blocking, we are disappointed the Administration chose to move forward with significant administrative and financial penalties within existing Medicare quality programs. Medical groups already face myriad difficulties reporting under MIPS, and by enforcing a penalty of zero points in the Promoting Interoperability category, this rule ensures that offending groups will likely receive a negative payment adjustment to every Medicare claim for an entire payment year. HHS could have chosen to work with providers to implement corrective action plans, but instead finalized unnecessarily punitive penalties that will financially damage practices and negatively impact Medicare patients. Preventing practices and ACOs from participating in MSSP runs counter to the transition to value-based care and undercuts the ability of providers within the ACO framework to succeed.  

MGMA remains committed to helping support medical groups advance interoperability and appropriately share health information to enhance patient care. We encourage HHS to provide further guidance, including FAQs and other educational material, so medical groups so can understand exactly what qualifies as offending conduct and avoid committing information blocking.”

###

About MGMA

Founded in 1926, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the nation's largest association focused on the business of medical practice management. MGMA consists of 15,000 group medical practices ranging from small private medical practices to large national health systems representing more than 350,000 physicians. MGMA helps nearly 60,000 medical practice leaders and the healthcare community solve the business challenges of running practices so that they can focus on providing outstanding patient care. Specifically, MGMA helps its members innovate and improve profitability and financial sustainability, and it provides the gold standard on industry benchmarks such as physician compensation. The association also advocates extensively on its members' behalf on national regulatory and policy issues.