HHS Awards $1.5 million to Improve Information Flow for Patients and Providers
ONC announced seven recipients of two Cooperative Agreement programs to improve the flow of health information.
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Physicians and Health Care Providers Continue to Improve Quality of Care, Lower Costs
Affordable Care Act Accountable Care Organization initiatives put patients at the center of their care while generating more than $1.29 billion in total Medicare savings since 2012.
ONC Announces Blockchain Challenge Winners
ONC announced the winners of the Use of Blockchain in Health IT and Health-related Research Challenge. A Blockchain—most commonly associated with digital currency—is a data structure that can be timed-stamped and signed using a private key to prevent tampering.
CMS Advancing Care Coordination Webinar
CMS published four new payment models and refinements to a current model through a notice of proposed rulemaking to further advance care coordination for Medicare FFS beneficiaries, which will begin 7/1/17.
Hospital IPPS and LTCH Final Rule Policy and Payment Changes for Fiscal Year 2017
CMS issued a final rule to update fiscal year 2017 Medicare payment policies and rates under the Inpatient Prospective Payment System and the Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System. The final rule, which would apply to approximately 3,330 acute care hospitals and approximately 430 LTCHs, would affect discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2016.
CMS Announces Next Phase in Largest-Ever Initiative to Improve Primary Care in America
CMS opened the application period for practices to participate in the new nation-wide primary care model, Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+). CPC+ is a five-year primary care medical home model beginning January 2017 that will enable primary care practices to care for their patients the way they think will deliver the best outcomes and to pay them for achieving results and improving care.
Final Rule Will Enrich the Qualified Entity Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized new rules that will enrich the Qualified Entity Program by expanding access to analyses and data that will help providers, employers, and others make more informed decisions about care delivery and quality improvement.
Physician Fee Schedule: Proposed CY 2017 Changes
On July 7, CMS proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule to transform how Medicare pays for primary care through a new focus on care management and behavioral health designed to recognize the importance of the primary care work physicians perform. The rule also proposes policies to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program within Medicare starting January 1, 2018.
Oncology Care Model
The CMS Oncology Care Model (OCM) is an innovative, multi-payer model focused on providing higher quality, more coordinated oncology care. Under OCM, physician group practices have entered into payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability for episodes of care surrounding chemotherapy administration to cancer patients.