CMS and their “Innovation Center” (CMMI) released a white paper outlining their vision for the future of Medicare payment models.
The “five key pillars” of their future payment models and regulatory actions in the white paper are:
- Driving accountable care
- Advancing health equity
- Supporting innovation
- Addressing healthcare affordability
- Creating partnerships to achieve system transformation
CMS hopes to achieve these goals by creating incentives for Medicare beneficiaries to seek care from Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). This doesn’t come as a surprise – ACOs have been shown to improve outcomes and lower costs in many cases. New payment models tested in recent years have focused on quality of care and patient outcomes instead of reimbursing providers purely based on the volume and type of services rendered.
While this white paper contains many sweeping, general goals and few specific details, it’s still a worthwhile read for all providers. COVID-19 has taken most providers’ eyes off the future, but your organization will need to evolve to stay competitive and offer services that fit CMS’ vision of healthcare.