2019 FINANCIAL SETTLEMENT AND QUALITY REPORT DELIVERED MSSP ACOs should have received their performance results for 2019 from CMS. These results are embargoed until further notice from CMS, but ACOs may share results internally and with participants. Because of the two performance periods for many ACOs in 2019, “PY 2019” may refer to the performance period ending on June 30 or December 31. “PY 2019-A” would refer to the performance period beginning on July 1, 2019, and ending on December 31.
The delivery of the MSSP 2019 financial results follows the release of results for ACOs in the Next Generation ACO Model, which the Innovation Center delivered to ACOs earlier this month. The public release of performance results is always an important milestone for ACOs and for NAACOS. ACO savings has increased every year since the program started, and we’re hoping—and expecting—for that trend to continue. We encourage ACOs to publicize positive performance results to demonstrate the value ACOs bring to patients and their communities.
BERWICK AND SMITH TO OPEN NAACOS FALL 2020 CONFERENCE The NAACOS Fall 2020 Conference has confirmed that Don Berwick, former member of the Biden/Sanders Unity Task Force, will speak on Tuesday, September 22. Make sure you register to hear how we can transform the U.S. health care system to improve quality and reduce costs. In addition to Dr. Berwick, Brad Smith, CMMI director and senior advisor for value-based transformation is set to deliver the opening keynote address. He will share CMMI’s role in supporting health care’s transformation to value along with details on new opportunities for ACOs and other population-health focused models.
Other featured plenary speakers include Dr. Mark McClellan who will share his insight into the healthcare system’s post-COVID future; the most recent MedPAC chairman Jay Crosson and the current chairman, Michael Chernew will share their thoughts on future opportunities and challenges for transforming health care into a value-based system.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear about the latest opportunities and challenges for ACOs and other value-based payment models. The virtual conference will take place Tuesdays through Fridays on September 22 through October 2. All of the content will be available to access for the following six months. Even if you can’t participate in certain sessions live, you will be able to view them at your convenience. Registration is open to all individuals, regardless of membership status. Register Today!
Welcome New Business Partner
Accessible Remote Patient Monitoring Accessible for 20 years has been an innovative leader in expanding the role of a home health care provider. We are the 1st home health care company to offer Accessible Remote Patient Monitoring Program (ARPM) for chronic disease management assists physicians in monitoring and managing patients in their home setting, thus decreasing hospital admissions and improving patients’ outcomes and reduce utilization, thus saving cost without affecting patient outcomes.
NAACOS MPFS RULE ANALYSIS NOW AVAILABLE CMS recently released the 2021 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule. The regulation includes significant proposed changes affecting ACOs such as a change in the way quality measures are reported and assessed for purposes of the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) and Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). This analysis outlines key considerations for ACOs and outlines other important payment policy updates and updates to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) for 2021 included in the proposed rule. If you missed our webinar reviewing these changes, tune in on-demand!
STUDY CONFIRMS VALUE ACT SAVES $270M; TELL CONGRESS TO SUPPORT BILL NAACOS is proud to share the estimated savings of recently introduced bipartisan legislation meant to spur participation in ACOs and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APM). The Moran Company used statistical modeling to replicate how the Congressional Budget Office might “score” the Value in Health Care Act (H.R. 7791) and found the bill would save $270 million over the next decade. Specifically, the bill increases shared savings rates, updates risk adjustment rules, eliminates the artificial distinction between “high” and “low” revenue ACOs, addresses ACOs’ “rural glitch,” and restarts the ACO Investment Model. The bill also reinforces the shift to value-based care by extending the 5 percent Advanced APM bonus for an additional six years, modifying the threshold to achieve that 5 percent bonus, and authorizing a study of the overlap of various Medicare APMs. Because all of those provisions would incentivize ACO participation and ACOs have been found to save Medicare money, the entire legislation would be a net saver for Medicare, the Moran Company found.
Welcome New Associate ACO Member
Iora Health – Boston, MA
NAACOS is encouraging its members to write their representatives in Congress urging them to support the bill. Visit our Take Action page today to help by submitting a letter to your congressperson. To get you started, NAACOS has drafted a letter, which should be personalized, to share how your ACO would benefit from the legislation. Don’t forget to include your organization’s name at the end. Lawmakers should be eager to hear about legislation that would save Medicare money.
STALEMATE CONTINUES OVER ROUND OF CONGRESSIONAL STIMULUS Congressional leaders continue to negotiate the next iteration of COVID-19 stimulus funding, with little traction toward a resolution. While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a “skinny” version of the next round of COVID relief, a number of contentious issues—including additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service and state and local governments—have brought the negotiations to an impasse. Discussions are ongoing and could continue into September, when Congress is scheduled to come back into session. Likely issues for Congressional activity in the fall of 2020 include government funding, COVID relief, and expiring Medicare and Medicaid programs.
NAACOS AND OTHERS URGE CONGRESS TO SUPPORT VALUE IN COVID RELIEF When Congress picks up discussions for another possible COVID-19 relief package, NAACOS and other leading healthcare organizations request that lawmakers use a portion of stimulus funding to support the move to value-based payment. In a recent letter to Congress, NAACOS and others thank lawmakers for the significant efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic and to assist clinicians and hospitals. As part of these efforts, the letter urges Congress to specifically support health care providers participating in value-based models by allocating additional provider relief funds to assist their efforts to not only combat the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to support their continued participation in value-based models.
STAY UP-TO-DATE ON 2021 CHANGE REQUESTS MSSP ACOs can expect to receive their next request for information regarding 2021 change requests on or around September 16. Those responses are due at noon ET on September 22. MSSP ACOs should have turned in their first request for information to CMS earlier this week. ACOs still have time to “freeze” your participation on the Basic Track’s glidepath, elect an additional performance year if your contract is set to expire at the end of 2020, add or delete ACO participants, apply for a Skilled Nursing Facility Three-Day Stay Waiver, choose assignment methodology, and select a minimum savings rate (MSR)/minimum loss rate (MLR) if moving to a risk-based track. If an ACO no longer wants to make a change you’ve already submitted, you still have time to withdraw the change. More information can be found on CMS’s website on MSSP application.
ACA CASE SCHEDULED FOR SCOTUS ARGUMENT The U.S. Supreme Court recently announced that it will hear oral argument on the Texas vs. Azar case, which challenges the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), on November 10, 2020, a week after the Presidential election. It is unclear how the arguments will proceed at that time; the Court has been hearing oral argument via videoconference and has not made a public statement regarding whether the ACA case will be argued in person.
The case was brought by Republican Attorneys General to challenge the law’s individual insurance mandate and raise questions about the entire law’s survival. Because both MSSP and CMMI are written into the ACA, NAACOS continues to follow this case closely. A decision in the case is expected in the Spring of 2021.
601 13th Street, NW, Suite 900 South, Washington, DC 20005 202-640-1985 • info@naacos.com
