Peggy O’Kane Opens PCMH Congress: MACRA & Future of PCMH

October 7, 2016 · Amy Maciejowski

Peggy O’Kane just delivered the opening remarks for PCMH Congress, the largest conference focusing on the medical home neighborhood.

From Friday until Sunday, more than 1,000 people- doctors and other clinicians, practice managers, CCEs among them—are in Chicago to discuss improving primary care with the patient-centered care model. Many attendees have transformed their practices to become an NCQA-Recognized Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) or Patient-Centered Specialty Practice(PCSP).  Others are here to learn what it means to be a PCMH and how the model can improve their practices.

In welcoming attendees, O’Kane cheered the patient-centered care model, framing it as among the most important work NCQA does.

She also told the audience of hundreds she expects the approach to bring them more rewards in the coming months in terms of payment based on value instead of volume.

“The implications of MACRA are clearly massive,” said O’Kane.

Implications of MACRA

@PeggyNCQA discusses #MACRA in her opening remarks @PcmhCongress #value #quality #healthcare #pcmh pic.twitter.com/1ALZEt7coA

— NCQA (@NCQA) October 7, 2016

MACRA, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, transitions physician payments from volume-based to value-based. It has hovered over practices since it was passed in April of last year.  The federal government is expected to release the final details of the payment models sometime in November. Still, many doctors (roughly 50%) have never heard of MACRA. They don’t know what it means or how it will impact their practices.

O’Kane’s opening remarks signaled NCQA’s intention to serve as a resource for those clinicians and practices who aren’t quite yet paying attention. They also signaled what those who are paying attention—those who are here at the Congress—can expect to hear this weekend: PCMH and PCSP are expected to help practices perform better with MACRA.