The US Oncology Network Announces Top-Tier MIPS Results

The US Oncology Network (The Network) today announced results of the 2017 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for its affiliated practices. Based on the successful implementation of quality improvement, adoption and performance in the first year of MIPS, practices in The Network will receive an average positive payment adjustment of 1.90%—close to the maximum allowable adjustment of 2.02%. In addition, 99% of physicians in The Network were in the top tier of performers.

Launched in 2017, MIPS is a bi-partisan government-mandated program that aims to reduce healthcare costs and improve quality. The 2017 results were released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 29, 2018. A clinician’s performance in 2017 will impact their Medicare reimbursement in 2019.

Central to MIPS—and at the core of the current healthcare landscape—is value-based care. The Network’s value-based care team provided comprehensive and one-on-one support on MIPS to affiliated practices, which greatly contributed to its leading performance.

“MIPS can be a complex and onerous program for a practice,” said Marcus Neubauer, MD, chief medical officer for The US Oncology Network. “By working closely with the value-based care team, practices in The Network received the support and tools needed to manage the MIPS requirements. Together, we were able to achieve great results.”

In addition to the efforts of The Network-affiliated practices, another contributing factor to the successful MIPS results was their use of McKesson’s industry-leading oncology-specific electronic health record (EHR), iKnowMed℠. Earlier this year, McKesson was designated as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) by CMS, and as such, McKesson can collect and report clinical data on behalf of clinicians through iKnowMed for MIPS and other custom quality measures to drive improvements in the value and cost of cancer care. The designation enables iKnowMed users to efficiently submit data directly to CMS without engaging a separate registry vendor, streamlining data submission and minimizing the need for additional practice administrative resources.

“I want to congratulate all of The Network-affiliated practices for scoring in the top-tier of all performers,” said Dr. Neubauer. “Together we are refining our approach to value-based care, and our MIPS performance is truly a harbinger of future success as more payers begin to adopt similar requirements.”