Advocacy Group Formed to Promote Independent Physicians’ Roles in Value-Based Care
Several physician-focused healthcare organizations have come together to form the Partnership to Empower Physician-Led Care (PEPC) to advocate for the role of independent physician practices in value-based care.
The founding members of PEPC are: Aledade Inc., the company founded by former ONC head Farzad Mostashari, M.D.; the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP); California Medical Association (CMA); Florida Medical Association; Medical Group Management Association (MGMA); and Texas Medical Association/PracticeEdge.
PEPC said it would focus its advocacy on four policy priorities: advancing physician-led alternative payment models; ensuring an equitable policy framework that promotes choice and provider competition; creating new opportunities for physicians in commercial markets such as Medicare Advantage; and supporting consumer-directed care.
“We believe it is impossible to achieve truly value-based care without a robust independent practice community,” said Kristen McGovern, PEPC’s executive director, in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to ensure that independent practices are recognized as a vital part of the healthcare system and are given a clear path to continue to contribute to this transformation.” (McGovern served as Chief of Staff to Mostashari as National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS. She also worked at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President.)
The new group stresses that independent physicians make up almost half of the physician workforce but the role they play in leading the movement to value-based care is overlooked. It noted that a report on the Medicare Shared Savings Program found that nearly half (45 percent) of physician-only ACOs earned savings, and that they were significantly more likely to do so than other types of ACOs.
“While our delivery system may have changed in recent years, one thing continues to ring true – family physicians play a central role in improving health care for individuals, families, and communities across the country,” said Michael Munger, M.D., president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, in a statement. “Physicians and physician-led groups are leading the movement to value-based care.”
