AMA to CMS: Give accountable care organizations maximum flexibility for benchmarks
The American Medical Association called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve a proposed rule that would alter some of the benchmarks under the Medicare Shared Savings Program.
The AMA, in comments signed by 20 other organizations, asked CMS to honor the current policy that accounts for savings in rebased benchmarks rather than punishing ACOs that worked hard to earn savings in previous agreements.
The groups also asked CMS to enhance the proposal and reopen ACO determinations to include greater opportunities, especially when CMS errors are the cause. And they suggested shortening the timeframe from four to two years.
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In their comments, the signers expressed strong support for CMS's proposal to incorporate regional cost data into benchmarks. The current method of basing benchmarks solely on historical spending penalizes ACOs for performing well in the past, they said, and forces them to chase increasingly more challenging benchmarks.
By blending historical and regional cost data, CMS will improve the long-term viability of the program by attracting new providers, while also enhancing the odds of retaining current participants, they said.
The groups, however, want CMS to provide ACOs with maximum flexibility when it comes to transitioning to regional benchmarks and also to focus on comparing performance for fee for service Medicare by excluding the ACO population in the area.
"Given our analyses show ACOs on average spend three percent less than comparable fee-for-service expenditures, it should remain a priority of the Secretary to refine the model in ways that will promote further program growth," the signers wrote to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt.
The joint comments represent the collective views of organizations including physicians, hospitals, medical group practices, academic medical centers and nearly all existing Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com
