On behalf of our 4600 members, AAHKS thanks Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT), Congressman Michael Burgess (R-TX), Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for introducing the Small Practice, Underserved, and Rural Support Program Extension Act of 2022.
The Medicare Quality Payment Program Small, Underserved, and Rural Support Program (QPP-SURS) has provided valuable technical assistance to help our members in small practices navigate complex Medicare reporting requirements, but the program is scheduled to expire on February 15. This legislation would extend those technical assistance resources through the 2027 fiscal year.
AAHKS is a pioneer in value-based care. Almost half of our members participate in alternative payment models (APMs), the highest rate of participation of any specialty. However, half of our members work under the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), for which the QPP-SURS program provides assistance. Our two main APMs are scheduled to expire in 2023 and 2024, potentially placing more of our members back in the MIPS system for the first time in years. Technical assistance for MIPS is important for our members today and may be even more important in the years to come.
AAHKS encourages Congressional leadership to prioritize passing this bill, or include it in the next legislative package, to avoid any major disruption in the QPP-SURS technical assistance for small practices.
