H.R. 483 — Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act

This section delays, until January 1, 2030, the requirement—established in the CY 2025 Medicare physician fee schedule final rule (89 Fed. Reg. 97710)—for accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Medicare Shared Savings Program to transition quality measure reporting from the CMS Web Interface portal to electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs). The section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to (1) establish by January 1, 2026, a pilot program testing digital quality reporting methods for applicant ACOs and ACO participants, exempting participants from eCQM requirements, providing technical assistance (including waivers), and submitting a report to Congress with findings and recommendations by January 1, 2028; (2) implement by January 1, 2030, standards for digital quality reporting metrics and formats compatible with electronic health record (EHR) systems across diverse ACO practice sizes, specialties, and locations, developed in consultation with stakeholders (e.g., National Committee for Quality Assurance, EHR vendors, ACOs); and (3) allow ACOs and ACO participants to use existing methods (e.g., CMS Web Interface, MIPS CQMs, Medicare CQMs) without penalties until the standards under (2) are promulgated. (Participation in the pilot has no effect on ACO eligibility for shared savings incentives under section 1833(z) of the Social Security Act or MIPS payment adjustments.)