The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Aug. 3 released a rule that proposes changes to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) and Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) for 2021. According to federal officials, because providers must stay focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of significant proposed changes to the programs are limited….
Talk about down to the wire! On June 3, 2020, CMS finally decided to extend NextGen ACOs for another year. While the program was originally supposed to sunset at the end of 2020, CMS is providing some wiggle room to account for the impact of COVID-19. Given the recent significant increase in Coronavirus cases in…
New bipartisan legislation aims to create more accountable care organizations by boosting the percentage of shared savings for new entrants and making a series of other reforms. The Value in Health Care Act introduced on July 24 proposes several changes to Medicare’s alternative payment models. It would boost payments for not only ACOs but also extend…
CMS should keep the 2021 application cycle for the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) open and implement other changes to the program to protect providers from excessive costs incurred during the pandemic, the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) recently urged. “CMS has instituted a number of changes to support providers and their patients during the…
More than half of all accountable care organizations (ACOs) deliver home-based care to their patients, while an additional 17% have new home visit programs in the works. That’s according to a recent survey of National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) members, conducted in conjunction with the Institute for Accountable Care (IAC) and West Health Institute. Washington,…
ACOs usually concern themselves within issues like attribution, cost of care, quality metrics and shared savings and losses. But former CMS Administrator Donald Berwick asked the organizations to take on a much different, more fundamental issue today in a keynote talk at the virtual version National Association of ACOs (NAACOS), the main lobbying organization for…
CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation offered clarity Wednesday on the future of its Next Generation and direct contracting models after providers publicly expressed uncertainty and confusion. The Innovation Center announced the Next Generation ACO model will get a one-year extension and the Direct Contracting Model will begin April 1, a three-month delay from the original…
Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are seeking answers from the Trump administration over the status of the Next Generation ACO Model set to expire this year and the upcoming Direct Contracting Model. The National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) sent a letter Tuesday to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation, which oversees the payment models, on…
Dive Brief: Accountable care organizations want more help from the Trump administration to gain a more solid financial footing amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. ACOs, whose payments are tied to spending and patient health benchmarks, are asking CMS to give them the option of protection from any financial losses for a reduced shared savings rate…
CMS on Thursday finalized a wide range of temporary Medicare and Medicaid changes in response to the COVID-10 pandemic, including some big wins for accountable care organizations. State-approved Medicare providers can now order COVID-19 serology tests, and Medicare will pay providers to collect specimens for COVID-19 testing under the physician fee schedule and outpatient prospective payment system….