While much of the “buzz” in the health care industry is over the concept of accountable care organizations (ACOs), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have developed other programs pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that don’t get as much press. These programs present viable alternatives to providers not yet ready or not desiring to become full-blown ACOs that may offer them an opportunity for additional reimbursements. It is important to know about these types of programs, because providers may be approached about joining one.
One such program that CMS announced this summer and has already begun rolling is the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Initiative. This program takes some of the broad concepts of an ACO, such as coordinated care with an opportunity to share in savings, but focuses it to a specific proposed area without having all of the mandates that are requisite for participation in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. This article provides a summary of this particular program.
