Medicare Shared Savings Program

Subscribe to Medicare Shared Savings Program

CMS is gearing up for the program year 2016 Medicare Shared Savings Program, under which physicians, hospitals, and certain other types of providers and suppliers may form Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to provide cost-effective, coordinated care to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. CMS has posted the deadlines for applying to the program for 2016 (the notice…

On March 18, 2015, CMS is hosting a call to discuss how providers may report once across various 2015 Medicare Quality Reporting Programs, including the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Medicare Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program, the Value-Based Modifier (VM) program, and the Medicare Shared Savings Program. Providers that satisfactorily report will avoid…

On December 8, 2014, CMS published a proposed rule that would revise the regulations governing the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which is intended to encourage physicians, hospitals, and certain other types of providers and suppliers to form Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to provide cost-effective, coordinated care to Medicare beneficiaries. The Shared Savings Program now includes more than 330 ACOs in 47 states and serves more than 4.9 million Medicare fee for service (FFS) beneficiaries.Continue Reading CMS Proposes Changes to Medicare Shared Savings Program/ACO Payment Regulations

On December 2, 2014, CMS is hosting a provider call to discuss changes to the Medicare physician quality reporting programs in the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule. Among other things, the call will cover changes impacting the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), Value-based Payment Modifier, Physician Compare, Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program,…

CMS has announced a new Accountable Care Organization “Investment Model” that was developed in response to concerns that some providers lack adequate access to the capital needed to invest in infrastructure necessary to successfully implement population care management. CMS will provide as much as $114 million in upfront investments to up to 75 ACOs across…

Today the OIG and CMS published a joint notice continuing the effectiveness of fraud and abuse law waivers granted in 2011 in connection with the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which is intended to encourage physicians, hospitals, and certain other types of providers and suppliers to form accountable care organizations (ACOs). 

By way of background, …

On July 11, 2014, CMS published its proposed rule to update the Medicare physician fee schedule for CY 2015. The proposed rule reflects enactment of the Protecting Access to Medicare Act (PAMA) of 2014, which provides for a 0% update to the conversion factor (CF) for MPFS services furnished between January 1, 2015 and March 31, 2015. In the Proposed Rule, CMS estimates that with the application of a budget neutrality adjustment, the CF for the first quarter of 2015 would be $35.7977 (compared to $35.8228 in 2014). Under PAMA, the CF will be adjusted on April 1, 2015 according to the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula unless Congress takes additional legislative action. CMS does not speculate on the CF that will be applicable April 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, but CMS previously estimated that the SGR would result in about a 20.9% cut in MPFS payments for 2015 if Congress does not again intervene. There is an expectation that Congress eventually will override this payment cut, but the timing and extent of any such relief cannot be assured at this time. Other key provision in the proposed rule include the following:Continue Reading CMS Publishes Proposed MPFS Rule for 2015

Yesterday CMS submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a proposed rule to make changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program, including provisions relating to Medicare payments to providers participating in ACOs. These changes would apply to existing ACOs and approved ACO applicants participating in the program beginning January 1, 2016.

Through the Advance Payment Accountable Care Organization (ACO) initiative, CMS is testing the extent to which pre-paying a portion of future shared saving could increase participation in CMS’s Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). While CMS previously announced that applications would only be accepted for April 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012 start dates, CMS now…

On March 1, 2012, CMS is hosting a national provider call on the application process for the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Advance Payment Model. Both initiatives are designed to encourage the development of accountable care organizations to improve quality of care for Medicare patients.  Registration is required.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (“CMS”) Medicare Shared Savings Program final rule offers potential opportunities as well as risks to health care providers and suppliers interested in forming accountable care organizations (“ACOs”). While the core principle of the Medicare Shared Savings Program is simple—reward improvements in quality and cost containment through a share…