The California Medical Association (CMA) recently hosted a free webinar that reviews the details of the Medicare Quality Payment Program. The webinar includes a brief overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Alternative Payment Model (APM) pathways, details regarding data submission for the 2017 performance year, an overview of participation requirements for the 2018 performance year and details on obtaining technical assistance.

It also answers questions specific to the 2017 Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances Policy as pertinent to the Northern and Southern California wildfires, questions related to submission of data via claim, and opportunities to participate in the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative to help practices of all sizes participate in APM’s in the future.

The webinar is hosted by Ashby Wolfe, M.D., a board-certified family physician who currently serves as Chief Medical Officer for Region 9 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Territories.

Dr. Wolfe’s current position focuses on implementation of Medicare and Medicaid policy and the programs roles in providing access to high quality care and improved health at a lower cost. In addition, Dr. Wolfe provides clinical expertise to many regional CMS programs and divisions, and serves as the medical and scientific lead for quality improvement and outreach/education efforts in the region.