So Much Red Tape: MGMA Survey on Regulatory Burden

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) conducts annual surveys of medical practices covering a number of topics, including regulatory, reimbursement, and other issues.

In the 2021 Regulatory Burden survey, 91% of respondents reported an increase in the overall regulatory burden they faced during the prior 12 months. Staffing shortages as a result of the COVID pandemic and its associated ripple effects are already stressing practices’ ability to maintain daily operations. Navigating regulatory and administrative requirements including prior authorizations, MIPS and commercial quality programs, and audits, adds to the difficulty of focusing on quality patient care.

The ongoing pandemic is exacerbating these effects. 71% of respondents reported that COVID-19 related workplace mandates were extremely burdensome, and 67% reported that Provider Relief Fund reporting requirements were also very or extremely burdensome.

Respondents quoted anecdotally in MGMA’s report said they needed to hire additional administrative staff and vendors to comply with regulatory requirements and that federal offices “grossly underestimate” the weight their regulations are placing on practices.

“Medical practices continue to report an increase in regulatory burden, with challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic further compounding the issue,” Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs at MGMA, said in an accompanying statement.

“Practices are currently experiencing unprecedented shortages of clinical and administrative staff, yet the federal government continues to add layer upon layer of new regulatory requirements. Medical groups are reporting that there are barely enough nurses to take care of patients, let alone spend time navigating onerous prior authorization requirements or reporting clinically irrelevant quality measures to Medicare,” he said.

You can read more about the survey and download the results at the MGMA site here.