NAACOS Newsletter for Members and Partners June 3, 2021
| BROOKS-LASURE SWORN IN AS CMS ADMINISTRATOR Following months of delay over issues unrelated to her qualifications or candidacy, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure was sworn in May 27 as the new administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). She was sworn in by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra swiftly after her Senate confirmation two days prior. In her new role as administrator, she will oversee a trillion-dollar budget at CMS and draw from her extensive health policy background, which has largely focused on expanding health insurance coverage and the Affordable Care Act, among other topics. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier this spring, Brooks-LaSure noted the importance of ACOs and the shift to value-based care. NAACOS looks forward to working with her and other new leaders at CMS and HHS to strengthen ACOs and the shift to value  SUMMER BOOT CAMP ON ACO DATA THIS MONTH! Harnessing your data can create actionable strategies that improve your ACO’s performance. Bring your team to a virtual training on Maximizing the Power of Data in Your ACO on June 22 and 23. Learn from leading ACOs how to turn your data into knowledge that will guide your operations and put your ACO on the path to success. Boot camp faculty will:
This boot camp is designed for the ACO executive team, specifically executive directors, medical directors, population health leaders, and data/analytics teams. NAACOS ACO members save at least $200 per registration. Group rates also available to NAACOS ACO members. Register now and get data to work for you! CMS TO HOLD WEBINARS ON FUTURE OF QUALITY ASSESSMENTS CMS will host a two-part webinar series discussing the future of CMS quality measurement. The first webinar will focus on CMS plans to advance quality measurement in the next 5-to-10 years, while the second webinar discuss the tools and processes CMS uses for quality measurement, including the CMS Blueprint, Quality Measure Index and other tools the agency uses to assess its quality measures throughout the measure lifecycle. Registration details are as follows:
 ACO ACTION ALERT: CONTACT CMS ABOUT MSSP QUALITY OVERHAUL CMS recently finalized a number of changes to the way ACOs report and are evaluated on quality for purposes of both the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). NAACOS has developed a grassroots action alert asking CMS to make needed changes to this new quality structure for ACOs. Take action today by sending a letter to the agency, asking CMS to delay the mandatory reporting of eCQMs and to limit evaluation and reporting to ACO assigned beneficiaries rather than all patients/all payers. You can learn more about the new requirements by accessing our member resource. CMMI OPTS NOT TO EXTEND NEXT GEN To the dismay of NAACOS and despite our advocacy, CMS announced that the Next Generation (Next Gen) ACO Model will not be extended for an additional year. Instead, Next Gen ACOs will be allowed a special opportunity to apply for the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model to start next year, after the Innovation Center previously canceled the application period. Non-Next Gens won’t be granted this limited exception unless they have already applied and deferred their acceptance. All application documents must be received by June 14. Next Gens must join as Standard Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs). NAACOS’ push for another one-year extension of Next Gen was a top advocacy priority for us, particularly following this year’s cancelation of an application cycle for Direct Contracting. We continue to advocate that there should be a permanent, Next Gen-like ACO model that provides a better bridge between MSSP Enhanced and the full capitation option under Direct Contracting. NAACOS released a statement following the recent Next Gen news. MSSP APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR 2022 PARTICIPATION CMS began accepting Notices of Intent to Apply (NOIA) to MSSP on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. As a reminder, ACOs must submit a NOIA to be eligible to apply for MSSP for a January 2022 start date, but the NOIA is nonbinding. NOIA submissions are currently due no later than June 7, at 12:00 pm ET. Applications, including initial participant lists, are then due on June 28 at 12:00 pm ET. A CMS application toolkit is available with helpful guidance and resources. Additional information about the application timeline is also available . These application windows are shorter and earlier than in previous years, and NAACOS is concerned this may hinder participation in the program. Therefore, NAACOS is advocating that CMS grant ACOs an additional week to submit a NOIA and extend the application window into July. CMS has extended application windows in the past, so NAACOS hopes that this extension will be granted to encourage participation in the program. |
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NAVIGATING THE MODEL MATRIX WEBINAR SERIES CONTINUES NAACOS will continue its revived Navigating the Model Matrix webinar series on June 14 with the second installment in the series. This “201” webinar will provide more in-depth discussion to help ACOs and DCEs understand payment models released by the CMS Innovation Center and their interaction with each other and MSSP. Speakers include Andrew Webster from Validate Health, Jessica Walradt from Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, Margaret Senese from Atrius Health, and Glenn Abrahamsen from Privia Health. Speakers will discuss key decision points for ACOs evaluating participation in these models and strategies for dual program participation, where permitted. Presenters will also discuss certain risk-and-reward tradeoffs between various models. Registration is still open. If you missed our “101” webinar, which provided a high-level review of key CMS Innovation Center models and drew comparisons to previous, legacy models, including MSSP, you can still catch it on demand. KEY DIRECT CONTRACTING DATES ANNOUNCED The CMS Innovation Center has published a document outlining key dates in 2021 for the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model. Final provider lists are due to the CMS Innovation Center on September 10, along with information on payment mechanisms. Agreements with participant providers are due on September 16. CMS plans to send preliminary benchmarks to DCEs by early December. Signed participation agreements are due on December 27. REGISTER FOR THE NEXT DIRECT CONTRACTING LEARNING DISCUSSION NAACOS is hosting its next Direct Contracting Learning Discussion on June 8 at 1:00 pm ET. Please join NAACOS and fellow DCEs that are participating in or planning to participate in the Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model to share your feedback, questions, concerns, or points of interest. Now that we’re a few months into the first performance period, we plan to discuss issues DCEs have encountered. This collaborative discussion will provide a forum for shared learning, and we ask that you send questions or requested conversation topics in advance to [email protected]. This is meant to be a safe space to openly discuss topics with peers. Participation is free for NAACOS members. Register now!  CONGRESS FACES MOUNTING LEGISLATIVE AGENDA When Congress returns from the Memorial Day recess next week, leadership will continue to work through major legislative proposals regarding the President’s Budget, the infrastructure bill, and investments in science and technology—as well as political measures such as a commission on the events of January 6. At the same time, other topics such as drug pricing and the public option continue to be considered by some lawmakers. Notably, the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee majority leadership last week released a Request for Information regarding a public health insurance option. Comments are due July 31, 2021. While it is not believed that a public option will be on the table legislatively this year, this work by two key committees of jurisdiction is viewed as part of a deliberative process to come to consensus on key aspects of a public option proposal that could be passed in the future. PRESIDENT’S BUDGET SLIM ON HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL On May 28, President Biden released his $6 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget, which included significant increases in funding for public health and research. Overall, under the proposal, HHS would receive a 23 percent increase in funding ($133.7B in FY 2022, compared to $108.4B in FY 2021). Proposed funding includes $8.7B in discretionary funding for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to improve preparedness for future public health crises and $6.5B for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create a new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. While the President’s budget mentions his administration’s support for drug pricing legislation, a public option, and expansion of Medicare and Medicaid coverage, those policy proposals were not specifically included in the President’s budget, signaling that they are not top line priorities for the White House this year. |