The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved S. 870, the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017 (as amended). The bill is intended to improve care for the chronically ill in fee-for-service Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, and accountable care organizations (ACOs). In particular, the bill calls for increased use of telehealth by MA plans and ACOs, and for ESRD beneficiaries undergoing home dialysis. In addition, the legislation seeks to promote care coordination, including through a new ACO Beneficiary Incentive Program that permits certain incentive payments to beneficiaries to encourage the use of medically-necessary primary care services. Under the bill, the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Independence at Home program would be expanded and ACA Special Needs Plans would be permanently authorized (if certain conditions are met). Furthermore, the HHS Secretary would be required to establish a process to provide Part D prescription drug plans with Parts A and B claims data to promote the appropriate use of medications and improve health outcomes. The bill now moves to the House.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
