The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed the elimination of bundled
payment program initiatives whose implementation has already been
twice delayed, as previously discussed
here.
In May, CMS published an interim rule that postponed the effective
date of cardiac care bundled payment initiatives and the expansion
of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model (CJR) and set
a January 1, 2018 start date for the Episode Payment Models (EPMs)
and Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) incentive payment model. On August
16, CMS published a proposed rule that would eliminate the EPMs and
CR payment model entirely and cancel the expansion of the CJR
payment model.
CMS has indicated that eliminating mandatory bundled payment models
would give it greater flexibility to solicit feedback from
stakeholders and to design and test innovations aimed at improving
quality and care coordination. CMS expects to increase
opportunities for providers through voluntary initiatives,
including additional voluntary episode-based payment models.
Comments on the proposed rule may be submitted through October 16,
2017.
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