The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on April 30 issued a second round of waivers and rule changes to provide flexibility to hospitals and improve access to testing for beneficiaries. These changes update waivers issued March 30 to address patient surge.

The final rules for Medicare’s Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Physician Fee Schedule for calendar year 2020 also expand access to opioid use disorder treatment and establish a prior authorization process for certain services.

The final rule includes provisions related to the Quality Payment Program, evaluation and management services, telehealth services, and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

The calendar year 2020 proposed rule includes updates to the Quality Payment Program, a request for information on the creation of Merit-based Incentive Payment System Value Pathways, and other topics of interest to essential hospitals.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission outlines issues of importance to essential hospitals, including Medicare payment strategies for Part B drugs, the Medicare Shared Savings Program,and Medicare fee-for-service spending for emergency department services.

Providers interested in the professional or global options under the new Primary Cares Initiative must submit a nonbinding letter of intent by Aug. 2.

The Primary Cares Initiative comprises five new voluntary payment model options under two paths. The new models build on the experience of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Next Generation Accountable Care Organization model.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced notice of intent to apply and application deadlines for a Jan. 1, 2020, start date for the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

The tool includes 2018 Qualifying Alternative Payment Model (APM) Participant and Merit-based Incentive Payment System APM status.

A final rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program overhauls the program and creates a pathway for accountable care organizations to more rapidly transition to performance-based risk models with the potential for greater shared savings.

The Medicare Shared Savings Program final rule creates a pathway for accountable care organizations to transition more rapidly to performance-based risk.

The rule includes updates to the Quality Payment Program and documentation and payment changes for evaluation and management services.

America's Essential Hospitals encouraged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to promote stability in the Medicare Shared Savings Program and allow essential hospitals more time to stay in savings-only tracks.

The association urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to adequately reimburse off-campus, provider-based departments and refine physician quality reporting to account for costs of care and the unique needs and patient populations served by essential hospitals.

New data show 472 accountable care organizations in the Medicare Shared Savings Program cared for 9 million program beneficiaries in 2017.

A proposed rule for the Medicare Shared Savings Program would overhaul participation tracks to create a "glide path" along which accountable care organizations could transition from a rewards-only model to a two-sided model with risk and the potential for greater rewards.

A new proposed rule would create a pathway for accountable care organizations to more rapidly transition to performance-based risk.

In the rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services continues a policy of reduced payments to new off-campus provider-based departments; the agency also provides updates to the Quality Payment Program.

This year, there are 124 new participants, including 55 that will take part in the risk-baring Medicare Shared Savings Program Track 1+ model; Accountable care organizations now serve 10.5 million Medicare patients, up 1.5 million from 2017.

The Quality Payment Program combines and replaces three separate clinician quality programs with a single system for clinicians that bill Medicare Part B.

The rule includes additional cuts to new off-campus, provider-based departments (PBDs), as well as physician payment and quality program changes.

The proposed rule would further cut payments to non-excepted provider-based departments to 25 percent of the Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rate and change certain quality reporting requirements.

The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule for calendar year 2018 includes physician payment and quality program changes.

The fact sheet gives a general overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Quality Payment Program and explains how the programs work together.

Along with renewing ACOs, the 99 new organizations bring the total number of ACOs nationally to 480 in 2017.

The new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation model aims to boost participation from small rural hospitals and other smaller health care practices.

Of particular interest to members of America’s Essential Hospitals are changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and provisions related to telehealth.

The rule, released July 7, updates physician payment rates for Medicare services and makes changes to physician quality programs.

Proposed rule would update physician payment rates for Medicare services, change physician quality programs, and solicit comment on MACRA requirements.

Roughly 48 percent of participating ACOs produced $121 million in total shared savings in 2013, with a net shared savings of $99 million

The call will provide an overview of the materials required for applying to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and lessons learned from previous program year application periods. Notices of intent due May 29, applications due July 31.

The model saved $384 million over a two-year time period and is the first alternative payment pilot to meet criteria for expansion to additional sites.

CMS will host a national provider call for ACOs interested in the 2016 program year.

Recommendations include establishing greater balance between risk and reward for participating ACOs.

The proposals seek to add flexibility for participants and encourage participants to assume more risk to be be rewarded with greater shared savings.

Topics of member interest include payment updates, the OQR Program, and the MSSP.

The rules, released Oct. 31, finalized a number of provisions regarding payments, data collection in outpatient departments, quality programs, and the MSSP.

The funding will be allocated to up to 75 ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program to bring better care coordination to rural and underserved areas.

America's Essential Hospitals urged CMS to ensure any changes to the MSSP encourage and emphasize quality of care for beneficiaries.

CMS proposes to update how participants in the MSSP capture and submit quality metric data to gauge improvements to quality of care. The proposed update includes changes to the measure set and the benchmark time period.

OMB received June 26 a CMS proposed rule regarding the second round of the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

Providers interested in participating in an ACO through the MSSP must submit a notice of intent to CMS by May 30 and a final application to CMS by July 31.

ACOs are responsible for quality, cost, and overall care of Medicare beneficiaries

Agency provides methodological considerations, questions for states to address in program proposals

CMS says all 32 pioneer ACOs improved quality, performed better than published rates in fee-for-service Medicare