Burgess: PTAC is Paying Dividends for American Patients

Statement

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, released the following statement on the Department of Health and Human Service's new CMS Primary Care Initiative, adopted from a proposal drafted by the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee, to deliver better value for American patients.

"I helped create the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee as part of the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 to give physicians a voice at the table in Medicare and Medicaid innovation," said Dr. Burgess. "Nearly five years later, it is rewarding to see this committee developing ideas that will help American patients access quality care. I am grateful that Secretary Azar and Administrator Verma value PTAC's expertise and are willing to implement innovative solutions. Clearly, PTAC is paying dividends for American patients."

As a physician, Dr. Burgess understands the necessity of Americans' access to quality primary care. HHS has reported that the Primary Care Initiative includes a new set of payment models that will transform primary care to deliver better value for patients throughout the healthcare system.

"For years, policymakers have talked about building an American healthcare system that focuses on primary care, pays for value, and places the patient at the center. These new models represent the biggest step ever taken toward that vision," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar, in remarks to the American Medical Association last month. "Building on the experience of previous models and ideas of past administrations, these models will test out paying for health and outcomes rather than procedures on a much larger scale than ever before. These models can serve as an inflection point for value-based transformation of our healthcare system, and American patients and providers will be the first ones to benefit."

Background:
As the author of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2019 (MACRA), Dr. Burgess highly values the role of the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), which serves as an advisory committee on physician-focused payment models. Under MACRA, the HHS secretary is required by law to review PTAC's comments and recommendations on submitted proposals when considering the implementation of new physician-focused payment models in Medicare.

For additional information about the new Primary Care Initiative, please see the official announcement.

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