A week ago, CMS announced it will cancel two mandatory bundled payment programs that were set to begin in 2018—the Advancing Care Coordination through Episode Payment Models (EPMs) and Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive (CRI) Payment Models.
According to an item in Forbes, the pullback from value-based care initiative, which has received mixed reviews within the industry, might have disastrous effects on the Medicare Hospital Trust Fund.
"Anything that slows the momentum toward a value-based reimbursement system is a step backward,” said National Business Group on Health CEO Brian Marcotte to Forbes. “We cannot sustain the unmitigated healthcare cost increases fueled by the perverse nature of fee-for-service. It's just unsustainable."
CMS, meanwhile, argues the changes will save hospitals money and hassle.
“Changing the scope of these models allows CMS to test and evaluate improvements in care processes that will improve quality, reduce costs, and ease burdens on hospitals,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Stakeholders have asked for more input on the design of these models.”
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Nicholas joined TriMed in 2016 as the managing editor of the Chicago office. After receiving his master’s from Roosevelt University, he worked in various writing/editing roles for magazines ranging in topic from billiards to metallurgy. Currently on Chicago’s north side, Nicholas keeps busy by running, reading and talking to his two cats.