Medicare has clarified that providers cannot participate in both accountable care organizations (ACOs) and coming direct-contracting arrangements after 2020. The clarification — and others — came amid early provider feedback on the model, which is slated to start this spring. Providers sought a range of clarifications on the Direct Contracting model from staff of the Centers for…
The National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOS) today launched a new taskforce to help doctors and hospitals understand and prepare for new value-based payment models. The nonprofit organization, which represents hundreds of organizations participating in new payment and delivery models, announced the formation of its direct contracting task force that will offer tools to providers to…
ORLANDO, Fla.—For the thousands of people attending the 2019 HIMSS conference this week, there is no escaping the buzz about the proposed new interoperability rules issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Monday. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma is the ubiquitous face of the news at the event,…
Here are 25 major points to note in the CMS Pathways to Success Proposed Rule introduced on August 9th: The redesigned Medicare Shared Savings program is called “Pathways to Success. There are five stated goals Pathways to Success is intended to advance: Accountability, Competition, Engagement, Integrity, and Quality. The CMS projected financial impact of the…
CMS issued a proposed rule Aug. 9 that would make sweeping changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, including overhauling the way ACOs share in risks and rewards. Here are seven things to know about the proposed rule: 1. The redesigned program — which CMS has dubbed “Pathways to Success” — would expand ACO participation…
On August 9, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule that would set a new direction for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program). Referred to as “Pathways to Success,” this proposed new direction for the Shared Savings Program would redesign the participation options available under the program…
The CMS wants to eliminate zero and low-risk tracks for accountable care organizations to more quickly move them to downside risk. The agency announced Thursday that it is planning to overhaul the Medicare Shared Savings Program by scrapping Track 1 and Track 2 and will launch a Basic track that provides a smaller window for…
In a letter addressed to doctors, CMS Administrator Seema Verma reaffirmed the federal agency’s commitment to “turning the tide” of rising rates of physician burnout and reducing clinical documentation requirements to cut provider burden. “From reporting on measures that demand that you follow complicated and redundant processes, to documenting lines of text that add no…
While we served in different administrations, we faced similar challenges in trying to improve the nation’s health-care system. The basic goal was to improve the quality of the care delivered and moderate the costs. While there are several key reforms that will help us address this challenge, one idea that nearly all health leaders in…
The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), now in its sixth full performance year, is at a significant crossroads. In creating the MSSP, Congress envisioned that Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) could moderate Medicare spending and improve quality of care by providers taking greater responsibility for costs and quality. While MSSP ACOs have clearly improved the…