Pending Medicare payment cuts were the big news toward the end of 2022, and staving off the hurt from those cuts has become a top priority for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Claire Ernst told Health Exec.
Ernst is the director of government affairs at MGMA, and she told Health Exec what was top of mind for MGMA this year. The group has also been carefully tracking what the end of the public health emergency (PHE) could mean for healthcare providers. The PHE was put in place at the beginning of the pandemic and has been renewed every 90 days ever since. It provides many flexibilities for healthcare providers to meet the demands during the pandemic. When it ends, many care providers will have to make adjustments to their care services, and millions of Americans will lose their eligibility for Medicaid.
[VIDEO: MGMA explains why the COVID-19 public health emergency extension is critical]
In addition, MGMA has been focused on prior authorization, with their membership stating the burdens associated with prior authorization have increased as of late. Ernst's comments came before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule to streamline prior authorization and modernize the system.
See the video to hear all of MGMA's priorities.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."