FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Statement attributable to:
Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH
President and CEO
America’s Essential Hospitals
WASHINGTON—We appreciate the flexibility demonstrated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today with its decision not to move forward with mandatory cardiac payment models.
While we understand and support the agency’s care improvement goals, we believe CMS made the right move to pull back the cardiac care episode payment models. Providers selected for the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) demonstration are only just now adapting to these new payment and delivery approaches and need more time before facing another demonstration and the potential for mandatory participation in two models simultaneously. We are pleased CMS recognizes the burden of mandatory participation and proposes to reduce the overall number of hospitals required to participate in the CJR model.
This cancellation gives CMS an opportunity to evaluate current models and correct for unintended consequences before developing another voluntary or mandatory demonstration. We look forward to working with the agency to improve care for all Americans, especially those who face social and economic barriers to care.
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About America’s Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals is the leading association and champion for hospitals and health systems dedicated to high-quality care for all, including the most vulnerable. Since 1981, America’s Essential Hospitals has initiated, advanced, and preserved programs and policies that help these hospitals ensure access to care. We support members with advocacy, policy development, research, and education.
Our more than 300 members are vital to their communities, providing primary care through trauma care, disaster response, health professional training, research, public health programs, and other services. They innovate and adapt to lead the broader health care community toward more effective and efficient care.
Contact:
Carl Graziano
cgraziano@essentialhospitals.org
202.585.0102
