Fonteum Data GlossaryRegulatory
MACRA: Definition and Healthcare Context
Full name: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is a federal law that repealed the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula for Medicare physician payment and established the Quality Payment Program. MACRA created MIPS and Advanced APMs as the two pathways for clinician participation, shifted Medicare payment toward value-based models, and mandated interoperability requirements for EHRs. MACRA was signed into law on April 16, 2015. CMS began collecting MIPS performance data under MACRA in January 2017.
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- Re-check
- CMS: MACRA overview
- Data as of
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Last updated: 2026-07-11Reviewed by: Dr. Jennifer Montecillo, MD — Gullas College of Medicine, 2019. Non-practicing medical reviewer.
How it’s used
- CMS QPP MIPS: MACRA established the legal framework for MIPS. Fonteum's QPP MIPS data source is built on the performance reporting mandated by MACRA.
- Quality Payment Program: MACRA's two pathways — MIPS and Advanced APMs — define how Medicare ties clinician payment to performance, the framework behind Fonteum's QPP MIPS source family.
- Medicare Physician Fee Schedule: by repealing the SGR formula, MACRA set the payment-update structure that governs the fee schedule underlying clinician reimbursement data.
Frequently asked questions
- What does MACRA stand for?
- MACRA stands for Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the law that repealed the SGR formula and created the Quality Payment Program.
- What did MACRA change about Medicare payments?
- MACRA replaced the SGR formula with a stable payment schedule and created the Quality Payment Program, which ties payment adjustments to quality and value performance.
- When was MACRA signed into law?
- MACRA was signed into law by President Obama on April 16, 2015.