episode payment models

On February 17, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) announced that it had delayed the effective date of provisions of a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Final Rule that were scheduled to take effect February 18, 2017.  The Final Rule – titled “Advancing Care Coordination through Episode Payment Models” – was issued January 3, 2017 (see our previous analysis here) and in pertinent part implements:

  • Three new Medicare episode payment models (EPMs) surrounding 90-day episodes of care arising from (a) an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), (b) a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), or (c) a surgical hip/femur fracture treatment (SHFFT);
  • An incentive payment model to spur increased utilization of cardiac rehabilitation and intensive cardiac rehabilitation for Medicare beneficiaries; and
  • Modifications to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement model (CJR Model), an ongoing CMS payment model involving hip and knee replacements that started on April 1, 2016.

Continue Reading HHS Delays Effective Date of Key Provisions in CMS Final Rule “Advancing Care Coordination through Episode Payment Models”