On June 3, 2020, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) Administrator Seema Verma announced adjustments to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (“CMMI”) models in light of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Despite the accommodations being provided, Administrator Verma praised value-based incentives in a Health Affairs blog post, stating that “[t]hese models are even more important in a pandemic, to provide consistent, predictable income that keeps the focus on disease prevention.” CMS released a chart with the flexibilities relating to financial methodology changes, quality reporting changes, and model timeline changes for certain CMMI models. Flexibilities are being provided for the following models:
- Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced
- Comprehensive ESRD Care Model
- Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model
- Direct Contracting (Global and Professional)
- Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport
- Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model
- Independence at Home
- Integrated Care for Kids Model
- Kidney Care Choices
- Maternal Opioid Misuse Model
- Medicare Care Choices Model
- Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Expanded Model
- Medicare ACO Track 1+ Model
- Next Generation ACO
- Oncology Care Model
- Primary Care First – Serious Illness Component
Norton Rose Fulbright attorneys will continue to provide relevant updates for healthcare providers on the Health Law Pulse during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
