The feds have changed their strategy for the implementation of bundled payments, giving facilities much more leeway in participating. While some hospitals may be breathing a sigh of relief, rest assured – they aren’t going away entirely. Neither is the growing shift toward value-based care.

Last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made a big announcement about the future of bundled payments.

At the beginning of 2018, two types of bundled payment models were set to become mandatory: Episode Payment Models and the Cardiac Rehabilitation incentive payment model. The models were designed to boost value and save costs for heart and orthopedic care.

However, in a proposed rule published on the Federal Register, CMS cancelled both programs entirely.

Per a press release about the decision, the agency said it made this move to have “greater flexibility to design and test innovations that will improve quality and care coordination” in health care. CMS also said it wants to reduce the burden on hospitals that such a change may create – and it’s seeking feedback from facilities and other stakeholders on how to proceed going forward.

Along with the cancellation of …read more

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