WINTER
2022 BOOT CAMP A WEEK AND A HALF AWAY There
is still time to register for the NAACOS Winter 2022 Boot Camp, February 7–8 in
sunny and warm Orlando! The boot camp will provide expert insight into core
competencies for ACOs and DCEs. Boot camp faculty will present essential resources
and policy updates as well as the basics for successful care management and resource
allocation. The boot camp is a full two days this year and is being held IN-PERSON
only. A detailed
schedule and agenda are on our website. Register
Today!! Group rates are still available! Boot camps are not open to business
partners. Space is limited to 110 people.
CMS
ANNOUNCES 2022 MSSP ACOS The
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced yesterday that 483 ACOs
are participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) in 2022. This
represents a slight increase of six ACOs from the 477 ACOs in the program last year.
There are 46 ACOs that have their first agreement period starting this year with no
prior MSSP experience, but many have previous experience in programs including the
now-expired Next Generation ACO Model. Additional data from CMS show 11.0 million beneficiaries are
being care for by ACOs and 284 ACOs are taking on down-side financial risk. These
ACOs should be commended for their commitment to improving the quality of care for
Medicare patients while lowering spending. NAACOS congratulates these organizations
for their work. The full list of participating ACOs is available.
NAACOS
issued a press release on the 2022 MSSP participation numbers,
expressing disappointment with basically no program growth this year, which also
follow multiple years of slow or declining growth and no chance to apply for a 2021
start. In response to the 2022 participation information, NAACOS is strengthening
advocacy efforts for CMS to implement more favorable policies to attract and retain
ACOs.
NAACOS
RESOURCE REVIEW
Risk
Adjustment and HCC Coding As
a new year begins and accurate hierarchical condition category (HCC)
coding is top of mind for organizations receiving risk adjusted
payments or benchmarks, NAACOS would like to remind our members of
previous presentations and materials that may be helpful in
developing strategic plans for provider education, tracking, and
calculating HCC risk scores for your participants. Utilizing the
Search feature on the upper right corner of the NAACOS website or in
the Listserv Knowledgebase library can provide a
list of documents, articles, and slides or recordings from past
webinars and conferences such as this 2019 pre-conference session on
the Importance of HCC Risk Adjustments and
Strategies to Optimize. Or you can browse the presentation
topics from On-Demand Webinars, past conferences under
Member Resources, or the Boot Camp archives including this February
2020 session on Leveraging Risk Adjustment under
Events > Boot Camp > Past Boot Camps.
TELL
CONGRESS TO EXTEND THE ADVANCED APM BONUS NAACOS
is urging members to write your member of Congress to ask that lawmakers extend the
5 percent bonus for participating in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (Advanced
APM). An ACO’s ability to qualify for this important incentive expires at the end of
this year and fixing this cut is one of NAACOS’ top advocacy priorities for 2022.
These bonuses have been instrumental in incentivizing providers to participate in
high-risk models and ACOs participating in Advanced APMs have reported using the bonuses to invest in ACO initiatives such
as care coordination or data analytics and to support the ACO’s move to a risk-based
model. With this bonus expiring after 2022, fewer providers may elect to participate
in Advanced APMs in future years.
Visit
NAACOS’ Take Action page to access a letter we’ve drafted to get you
started. Be sure to add details about why this issue is important to you and don’t
forget to add your ACO’s name at the bottom. Get more information on Medicare
payment updates under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) in
this recently released resource for ACOs.
COVID-19
PHE EXTENDED INTO APRIL Last
week, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for
another 90 days. This move was expected by NAACOS. With this 90-day extension, the
PHE will now last through April 16. A number of Medicare polices are tied to the
PHE, including CMS waiving shared losses for ACOs and broad application of
telehealth waivers. More information on
COVID-19. NAACOS is continuing to monitor the PHE’s timeline and will alert members
of significant happenings.
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ACO
RETURN ON INVESTMENT CALCULATOR The
Institute for Accountable Care has just released a return on investment calculator for ACOs planning to
implement or expand home-based primary care and community paramedicine. The
calculator can be used as a planning tool that allows you to assess the impact of
different assumptions about program cost and program impact on ACO savings. The
home-based care savings module draws on a comprehensive review of the research
literature. It provides a framework that can be adapted for other ACO programs (care
management, etc.). Check it out and let
us know what you think.
CONGRESS
FOCUSES ON UPCOMING MIDTERMS The
House and Senate are out of session this week, and many Members are in their home
states speaking with constituents about the issues of the day—COVID-19, rising
consumer prices, inflation, and potential engagement abroad for U.S. forces.
Following failed attempts to pass Voting Rights legislation and the Build Back
Better (BBB) Plan, congressional majority leadership is likely to reset when they
return from the break focusing on international competition legislation and
outstanding budgetary and appropriations items, with some bipartisan activity on
Senate rules reform. In addition, following President Biden’s commentary last week
about breaking up the BBB, stakeholders are eyeing the potential movement of policy
items therein, including drug pricing provisions. As the midterm elections approach
and in the wake of numerous retirements on both sides of the aisle, attention is
increasingly centered on legislative activity that establishes a positive track
record going into the mid-terms. For example, there is renewed interest in measures
around COVID relief and combatting healthcare worker shortages, as well as
addressing expiring provisions that may require extensions given the ongoing state
of the pandemic.
NEW
STUDY ON THE NUMBER OF EHRS IN ACOS Researchers
at the Institute for Accountable Care joined with staff from NAACOS to conduct a
survey of ACOs on their use of electronic health record (EHR) platforms. Results
show that just 9 percent of respondents use a single EHR platform and the vast
majority (67 percent) have more than six different platforms. ACOs report challenges
with integrating data across platforms and accurately reporting EHR-based quality
measures. This is an area where ACOs, EHR vendors and policymakers need to
collaborate to create standards that promote meaningful interoperability. Although
EHRs have tremendous potential when it comes to creating a real-time quality and
patient management infrastructure, there is a lot of work that must be done before
this potential is realized. The full paper is
available.
QUALITY
REPORTING SUPPORT CALLS ANNOUNCED As
a reminder, the MSSP quality reporting process is now underway and will close on
March 31, 2022, for reporting 2021 data. CMS recently announced that the agency will
host a series of CMS Web Interface Transition Webinars to provide information and
allow ACOs to ask CMS subject matter experts questions about the Web Interface and
the transitioning to new quality reporting method options including electronic
clinical quality measures (eCQMs). Webinars will take place on February 2 and 16 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm ET. CMS will also
provide bi-weekly support calls on February 9 and 23, March 9 and March 23 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm
ET. Other registration
dates are also available.
LAST
CHANCE TO NOMINATE A LEADER IN QUALITY EXCELLENCE Submissions
for the NAACOS Leaders in Quality Excellence Awards are due February 4. These awards
recognize the outstanding efforts among ACOs working to improve the quality and
safety of patient care and to advance population health goals. NAACOS ACO member
organizations can submit an entry for a quality project through February 4,
2022. Don’t miss your chance to send in a submission related to your ACO’s quality
improvement efforts! NAACOS will recognize the top three submissions, selected by
the NAACOS Quality Committee, at our Spring 2022 Conference to showcase the
exemplary efforts in quality improvement among our members and to disseminate best
practices. More information on the award criteria and submissions
process are available. Should you have any questions, please contact
us.
NAACOS
PUBLISHES UPDATED OVERVIEW OF PRIMARY CARE FIRST Recently,
NAACOS updated this overview of the Primary Care First (PCF) Model for ACOs.
First published in 2019 following the announcement of the forthcoming PCF Model,
this resource has been updated to reflect changes to the model. Initially, PCF was
intended to include three model options, including a general PCF payment track, a
Seriously Ill Population (SIP) payment track, and a combination option. However, the
SIP model option was stopped before implementation and therefore the model has been
simplified to one track. This updated resource also includes new details about
Cohorts 1 and 2, which began January 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022, respectively, as
well as the payer partners that have joined the model. For practices participating
in PCF and an MSSP ACO, the resource includes information about model overlap and
links to key Innovation Center resources.
MEDPAC
DISCUSSES POPULATION-BASED PAYMENT MODEL The
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) held its January public meeting on
January 13–14, which included a continuation of discussions spurred by the June 2021 recommendation that Medicare should move toward a
smaller, streamlined portfolio of APMs. NAACOS agrees that model overlap and
complexity can lead to challenges for model participants and evaluators, and NAACOS has advocated for clear and fair model overlap
policies for APMs that prioritize total cost of care models like ACOs. In this
session, commissioners reacted to an illustration of a multi-track, population-based
payment model with administratively set benchmarks. The discussion focused on how to
incentivize participation in such a model, how quickly providers should take on
financial risk, and a new benchmarking methodology. While there was much support for
the overall population-based payment model, concerns arose around selection issues,
incenting participation, and risk score gaming. For more details, refer to slides from the presentation and a transcript of the meeting. MedPAC makes recommendations on
Medicare payment polices to CMS and Congress, and NAACOS will continue to monitor
its regular meetings and keep members apprised of any significant movement.
HOW
ACOS ARE ADDRESSING HEALTH EQUITY: INSIGHTS FROM INNOVATORS NAACOS
invites all members and business partners to join us for an exciting webinar on
February 15 at 11:00 am to 12:15 pm ET. This webinar is part of ongoing work by
NAACOS to engage in conversations around health equity and explore how APMs can
facilitate health equity initiatives. While there are significant barriers to
addressing health inequities, many ACOs are undertaking a range of efforts to close
health equity gaps and meet patients’ nonmedical needs in order to improve their
health and well-being. This webinar, titled How ACOs Are Addressing Health
Equity: Insights from Innovators, will explore addressing and improving
equity in value-based care. Speakers from Advocate Aurora Health, Aledade, and Mount
Sinai Health System will highlight how the ACO model can be leveraged to address
health equity, sharing challenges, and lessons learned through the planning and
implementation of equity-focused initiatives. Register now!
Welcome
New Associate Member
Physicians
Plus Bloomington,
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Get
more information on
health equity and ACOs including NAACOS resources and comments, helpful
definitions, and relevant research and evidence for ACOs engaging in health equity
work.
FEBRUARY
11 MSSP PUBLIC REPORTING DEADLINE All
ACOs participating in MSSP for Performance Year (PY) 2022 must update their public
reporting webpage with PY 2022 information by February 11, 2022. ACOs are required
to use the PY 2022 Public Reporting Template and Instructions, which can be found in
the Program Resources section of the Knowledge Library in the ACO-MS. CMS instructs ACOs to
populate the template using data from the ACO-MS and ACO data per the instructions
included with the sample Public Reporting Template. Refer to 42 CFR § 425.308 for additional details on public reporting
requirements. Questions about your ACO’s public reporting should be directed to your
ACO Coordinator.
NAACOS’
VALUE WEEK WEBINAR AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND If
you missed it live, our webinar highlighting how some of the most successful
Medicare ACOs have transformed clinical practices to both lower costs while
improving quality of care for patients is now available on-demand. Speakers from Advocate Aurora Health,
Privia Health, and Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance all shared some of
their tips for ACO success. This webinar was part of Health Care Value Week, which NAACOS is co-sponsoring,
shining a spotlight on where value-based care is headed and what’s needed to further
drive its success.
BPCI-ADVANCED
POSTS PARTICIPANT LIST FOR MODEL YEAR 5 The
Innovation Center recently posted a list of Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI)
Advanced Participants for 2022 (Model Year 5). BPCI Advanced is a voluntary model
testing whether linking payments for clinical episodes can reduce Medicare
expenditures. The program started in October of 2018 and will run through December
2023. More information on the model, including episodes available in Model Year 5,
is available in this new CMS fact sheet.
ABIM
FOUNDATION LAUNCHES GRANT PROGRAM NAACOS
would like to share information on a new grant program, launched by the ABIM
Foundation. The Misinformation Challenge is designed to identify and counter
misinformation in health care and public health. The foundation plans to award two
grants through this program, one for $80,000 and the other for $30,000. These grants
would support the enhancement and/or expansion of existing practices that are
designed to build trust in the health care system by identifying and countering
misinformation in health care and public health. In particular, the foundation seeks
to support practices focused on improving the quality of communication by providing
or ensuring accurate information to the public. This can include practices related
to creating accurate content and/or innovative approaches to delivering content more
effectively. If you are interested, you can learn more about the program and download the application. The submission deadline is
February 15, 2022.
