The American Optometry Association considers MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015), a fairly recent healthcare payment reform, to be a big win for optometrists. Why? Because it distinguishes optometrists as physicians. Why is this important? It means that while optometrists are subject to the quality standards established by the new legislation, they are also eligible for the incentives that will be awarded to clinicians who meet the standards. As a result, it’s important for optometrists to understand this reform, the criteria that’s used to evaluate the overall quality of a physician’s services and the two avenues they can use to grow their payments from this federal health insurance program.
