Medicare Agency May Have ‘Overcorrected’ When Canceling Cardiac Pay Models
Also in the news from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency will begin evaluating some of the changes put in place by MACRA to reduce Medicare spending.
Modern Healthcare:
CMS May Have Overcorrected In Cancellation Of Cardiac Models
The CMS may have overcorrected when it honored some hospitals' request to cancel mandatory cardiac pay models. The move means hospitals that were ready to embrace the models could be out millions of dollars. Those hospitals are also missing out on millions in bonus payments they would have received had they improved care. The CMS wants to cancel models for acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass and as well as the Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Model, all of which were scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2018. Comments on the termination were due Oct. 16. (Dickson, 10/19)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Makes First Move To Hold Docs Accountable For Medicare Spending
The CMS is taking its first steps to evaluate whether MACRA will lead to reduced Medicare spending with a new pilot test. The test will evaluate eight new measures to determine if physicians in the Merit-based Incentive Payment System, known as MIPS, are actually reducing the cost of care. The CMS unveiled the initiative just two weeks after the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission suggested repealing MIPS over concerns it wouldn't lead to better quality of care for patients or lower costs. (Dickson, 10/19)
