Progress on Accountable Care in Medicare
Senior leaders at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have published a Health Affairs Forefront piece reviewing the opportunities both in the Innovation Center’s models and in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that support high-quality longitudinal provider relationships. The blog reviews CMS intentionality in new advanced investment models and the introduction of new codes, such as for Principal Illness Navigation, Caregiver Training Services, and Complexity Add-Ons, to recognize and provide resources for complex and holistic care, particularly for patients with significant social needs. It also discusses the advanced primary care management codes, which move the historically fee-for-service Medicare system to capitated payments for comprehensive care management and 24/7 response. Palliative care programs that provide both palliative and primary care can benefit from these new Medicare payment approaches.