Medicare Shared Savings Program

MSSP accountable care organizations share key priorities and challenges

March 20, 2024 - In the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), accountable care organizations (ACOs) prioritize annual wellness visits, care transitions, and clinician engagement, as Medicare Advantage growth causes recruitment challenges. MSSP is the largest ACO model and has been operating for over ten years. Past data has suggested that the program leads to...

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CMS announces new ACO model focused on primary care

by Jacqueline LaPointe

CMS will test a new accountable care organization (ACO) model that focuses on primary care providers starting next year. A recent announcement states that CMS will launch a five-year voluntary ACO...

After Slowdown, ACO Participation in Shared Savings Program Grows

by Jacqueline LaPointe

More accountable care organizations (ACOs) are participating in Medicare programs this year, including a new, permanent payment option in the Shared Savings Program. CMS recently announced ACO...

Understanding the Fundamentals of Accountable Care Organizations

by Editorial Staff

The healthcare payment process is undergoing a dramatic transformation as payers and providers shift from volume to value. While stakeholders are currently piloting many value-based care models, accountable care organizations (ACOs) are...

Top 10 Accountable Care Organizations by Medicare Shared Savings

by Editorial Staff

The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved CMS $1.8 billion in 2022, marking the sixth consecutive year of overall savings for the program. This also represents the second-highest yearly savings since the program started in...

Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs Saved $1.8B in 2022, CMS Reports

by Victoria Bailey

The Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) saved Medicare $1.8 billion in 2022, with 63 percent of accountable care organizations (ACOs) earning payments for their performance. This is the sixth...

NAACOS: Medicare Shared Savings Program Needs Full-Risk Option

by Victoria Bailey

A full-risk option in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) would offer accountable care organizations (ACOs) additional flexibility and more capitation options, according to the National...

CMS Proposes Payment Cuts in CY24 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has proposed payment cuts in its calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), including a 3.34 percent decrease to the conversion factor that would reduce payment rates by 1.25...

Benchmark Regionalization in MSSP Disincentivized Higher-Spending ACOs

by Victoria Bailey

After CMS began incorporating regional spending into accountable care organization (ACO) benchmarks in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), more higher-spending ACOs exited the program, a study...

How CMMI Value-Based Care Models Have Impacted Costs, Quality

by Victoria Bailey

Many value-based care models have helped generate savings, reduce costs, and improve care quality, but models must incorporate health equity and clinical outcomes to achieve true value for all,...

Medicare ACO Healthcare Spending Recovered to Pre-Pandemic Levels

by Victoria Bailey

Between 2019 and 2021, healthcare spending by accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) recovered to pre-pandemic levels but shifted from inpatient to...

Healthcare Orgs Push for Hybrid Primary Care Payment Option in MSSP

by Victoria Bailey

More than 25 healthcare organizations have urged CMS officials to establish a hybrid primary care payment option in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) to enhance primary care and boost...

NAACOS Calls on CMS to Adjust Digital Quality Measurement Requirements

by Victoria Bailey

Before implementing program-wide requirements for digital quality measurement in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP), CMS should establish a pilot that tests the technical feasibility and the...

MSSP Exit More Common Among ACOs Serving Racial, Ethnic Minorities

by Victoria Bailey

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) that serve a high proportion of racial and ethnic minorities were more likely to exit the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) compared to ACOs serving mostly...

ACOs Improve Quality, Physician Burnout As New Opportunities Emerge

by Victoria Bailey

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) aim to improve healthcare quality for patients while reducing costs. Even as healthcare providers have operated in an unstable industry for the past few years, ACO programs have continued to achieve...

Healthcare Orgs Request Medicare Shared Savings Program Updates in PFS

by Victoria Bailey

Healthcare groups, including the American Medical Association (AMA), have asked CMS to consider additional updates to the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) before finalizing the Medicare Physician...

Shared Savings Program ACOs Cut Costs Again, With 58% Earning Payouts

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Over half of Shared Savings Program ACOs earned payments for their quality and cost performance in 2021, according to new data from CMS. The federal agency reports that ACOs in the Medicare Shared...

When Cutting Healthcare Spending, MA Pulls Ahead of Medicare ACOs

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Average spending on Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans was much lower compared to the same metric of spending for beneficiaries attributed to a Medicare ACO, according to...

ACO Participation Cuts Medicare Spending on Serious Mental Illness

by Jacqueline LaPointe

Mental healthcare is costly for both Medicare and its beneficiaries, but ACO participation may help reduce the expenses for those facing serious mental illness, according to a new study published in...

Challenges, Trends Among ACO Home-Based Care Initiatives

by Victoria Bailey

Home-based care initiatives were common among accountable care organizations (ACOs), but ACO leaders cited the lack of return on investment as a barrier to expanding these services, according to a...

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