The coronavirus has taken a devastating toll on Americans across the country, in lives lost and economic impacts. The health care system has been impacted along with many other aspects of American life. Providers have been greatly affected as they strive to do the right thing by delaying elective surgeries; they have faced disruption in…
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…
When the COVID-19 pandemic began and it became clear telehealth would be necessary for physicians and nurses to treat patients remotely, CMS boosted rates for telehealth visits so they matched rates for in-clinic visits and would sustain providers during the pandemic. CMS also relaxed its guidelines about the type of telehealth visits it would cover,…
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission is recommending that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services scrap pandemic-skewed 2020 performance benchmarks for at-risk accountable care organizations. “The COVID-19 public health emergency has likely affected—and will continue to affect, at least through 2020—Medicare spending in ways that are yet to be fully understood,” MedPAC Chairman Francis J….
As our country responds to the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, we are working rapidly to change the way we practice medicine to keep people safe. One critical innovation is the use of telehealth, which allows patients to use smartphones, laptops, and other widely available technologies to connect with your healthcare team. Under President Donald Trump’s leadership,…
The Trump administration on Monday announced that it will expand telehealth services for Medicare beneficiaries and cut back on HIPAA enforcement, the latest move to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Medicare will pay doctors and hospitals for a broad range of telehealth services on a temporary basis, effective March 6. The program will pay for office and…
The Next Generation Accountability Care Organization Program appears to be on shaky ground as the Trump administration questions its capacity to generate savings and a potential replacement revs up. The five-year demonstration program will expire at the end of 2020 unless the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar decides to extend it or make…
In December of 2018, the Trump Administration overhauled the largest value-based payment program in fee-for-service Medicare—the Medicare Shared Savings Program (“Shared Savings Program” for short) for “Accountable Care Organizations” or ACOs. ACOs are groups of health care providers that agree to be held accountable for the quality, cost, and experience of care for a population…
CMS published 2018 results for the Merit-Based Incentive Payments System program Jan. 6. Five things to know about the results: 1. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said 2018 participation in MIPS, created under the 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, exceeded participation rates in 2017. 2. More clinicians will receive a positive payment adjustment compared…
With Medicare’s main trust fund projected to run out in just seven years, the Trump Administration is working hard to lower health care costs and increase quality to protect the Medicare program for all Americans who depend on it. The Medicare Shared Savings Program (Shared Savings Program), established by Congress, promotes accountability for a patient…