Report to Congress. Alternative Payment Models & Medicare Advantage

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) (Pub. L. 114-10, enacted
April 16, 2015) modifies how Medicare payments are tied to the cost and quality of patient care
for hundreds of thousands of doctors and other clinicians. To this end, Title I of MACRA includes
several provisions directed at promoting provider participation in Alternative Payment Models
(APMs) that engage providers in creating value in health care.
Section 101(e)(6) of MACRA requires the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) to submit to Congress a study examining the feasibility of integrating APMs in
the Medicare Advantage (MA) payment system. This study must also explore the feasibility of
including a value-based modifier (VBM) and assess whether such modifier should be budget
neutral. The analysis presented in this Report fulfills the Secretary’s obligation under section
101(e)(6) of MACRA.