Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks announced on April 30 the introduction of the Medicare Physician Data-Driven Performance Payment System Act, a bill aimed at changing how Medicare pays physicians and reducing administrative burdens. The legislation was introduced alongside Congressman Herb Conaway Jr.
The proposed changes seek to address concerns about the current Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which critics say has created challenges for healthcare providers. Miller-Meeks said, “For too long, Medicare’s current payment system has placed unnecessary burdens on physicians and failed to reflect the realities of patient care. As a physician, I’ve seen how MIPS creates excessive red tape, disproportionately impacts small and rural practices, and does not always capture the quality of care being delivered. This legislation takes a more practical, data-driven approach that supports providers, strengthens rural healthcare, and ensures patients receive the care they deserve.”
Conaway said that under MIPS “physicians are forced to devote valuable time and resources to compliance requirements that offer little clinical benefit,” adding support for legislation that would advance a more streamlined approach.
According to background information in the release, MIPS was established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 as a way to evaluate physician performance using quality, cost, and reporting metrics. However, many solo clinicians have received penalties under this system—nearly half according to recent data—with some facing up to a nine percent reduction in payments. Physicians reportedly spend an average of 202 hours annually and over $12,000 per year per provider on compliance tasks related to MIPS.
The new Data-Driven Performance Payment System (DPPS) would replace MIPS with reforms including reduced penalties for providers, reinvestment into quality improvement efforts for under-resourced practices, quarterly feedback reports for real-time improvements by physicians, increased transparency in cost attribution measures used in payment calculations, protections against penalties when there is insufficient performance data provided by insurers or government agencies; as well as freezing certain thresholds so doctors can better predict future payments.
The American Medical Association endorsed this legislation. Dr. Bobby Mukkamala said: “Physicians have grappled with a multitude of problematic issues associated with the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for more than a decade… We commend Reps. Miller-Meeks and Conaway for their leadership in introducing this legislation that seeks to improve the MIPS program.” Miller-Meeks added: “This is about making Medicare work better for the physicians who deliver care and the patients who rely on it… We need a system that rewards quality care, supports innovation, and allows doctors to focus on their patients.”
Mariannette Miller-Meeks is currently serving in Congress representing Iowa’s 1st district after replacing Dave Loebsack in 2021 according to Ballotpedia. She previously served in Iowa’s Senate from 2019 until her election to Congress as reported by Congress.gov. Born in Herlong California in 1955 she now lives in Le Claire according to Vote Smart. She graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing as noted by Wikipedia.
