NQF Statement on the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Bill 

Washington, DC - The National Quality Forum (NQF) applauds the movement toward paying for value rather than the volume of healthcare services that is supported by H.R. 2: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act passed in the Senate last evening and expected to be signed by the President into law.

This bill complements the recent launch by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, with its focus on shifting the payment paradigm for healthcare services from one that rewards volume of services to one that rewards value of services provided.

The provisions that allow for continued funding of the quality measurement enterprise in H.R. 2 are a key building block of this important transition and will also facilitate work to continue advancing measurement science. Ultimately, these efforts will not only help people get better healthcare, but also will reduce costs that strain patients, purchasers, and the system overall.

Specifically, H.R. 2 calls for up to $75 million in funding over two and a half years (FY2015-17) in support of work related to quality measurement. As the consensus-based entity working with HHS on measurement initiatives, NQF looks forward to continuing to support important healthcare quality improvement efforts that are necessary to move us closer to a value-based healthcare system.

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