Like it or not, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is here. MACRA created the new Quality Payment Program, comprised of two pathways to higher quality: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and the Advanced Alternative Payment Models (Advanced APMs). MACRA changed the rules, leaving many to face an uncertain future. Amid the uncertainty, however, one thing is sure: passivity will be costly. Indecision will not prevent or delay physicians’ placement into the quality and efficiency compensation measurements of MIPS.

Those who have prepared for delivery and payment model reforms can actually reap rewards for their efforts; it’s not too late for those who haven’t. How does a successful strategy look? While specifics differ, those in a better position for favorable outcomes have taken the following seven steps that have become the common denominator among providers:

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