AFMC to train physicians and clinics on Medicare reimbursement system

Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care of Little Rock will provide hands-on training and technical assistance on the Quality Payment Program, a Medicare reimbursement system that launched in October. The organization will offer the training to physicians and clinics in rural Arkansas and Mississippi. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will spend $20 million for the training this year, according to a news release.

TMF Health Quality Institute is one of 11 organizations that received a share of the $20 million and has hired the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care as a subcontractor to complete the training. The amount of money AFMC will receive will be determined once the cost of the work is determined. Over the next five years, CMS will invest $100 million to provide direct, individual training on the Quality Payment Program. The training will be for physicians who practice individually and group practices with 15 healthcare providers or less.

Eligible physicians and practices will not be charged for the training and educational resources. AFMC expects to enroll 3,486 physicians and 2,020 small practices in Arkansas and Mississippi. “The organization will assess the unique needs of needs of each clinician/practice, develop an individualized action plan and then provide customized technical assistance — all at no cost to the healthcare providers,” according to the release.

Ray Hanley, president and CEO of AFMC, was excited to help “rural physicians be more effective and efficient. We have 45 years of experience helping physicians and small practices improve their quality of care, control costs and better engage patients in taking responsibility for their health.” The practices serve 607,800 Arkansans and 573,164 Mississippians “who rely on Medicare for their healthcare.”