Initiative builds on the success of MSSP that helped beneficiaries and saved billions for Medicare
Washington, D.C., March 19, 2024 — Today the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center introduced ACO Primary Care Flex, a new accountable care organization model, to provide incentives for health care providers to transition from fee-for-service delivery to accountable care models that prioritize patient care and outcomes. Accountable for Health (A4H) CEO Mara McDermott issued the following statement:
“The CMS Innovation Center’s new ACO Primary Care Flex model is a positive step to expand access to effective accountable care across the country. This model will deploy prepayment for primary care services, accelerating the movement away from our health system’s reliance on a costly volume-based fee-for-service reimbursement system. This new model will wrap around the existing Medicare Shared Savings Program, which has demonstrated success in terms of cost savings and care improvements – saving $1.8 billion in traditional Medicare, and $3.6 billion when you account for spillover effects in Medicare Advantage—all while producing meaningful quality improvements for Medicare beneficiaries. Offering new models like this is essential to help us reach the bipartisan goal of 100 percent participation in accountable care across Medicare.”
About Accountable for Health
Accountable for Health (A4H) is a 501(c)(4) national advocacy and policy analysis organization accelerating the adoption of sustainable, effective accountable care that improves health care quality and outcomes and lower costs. We represent a broad, diverse group of accountable care stakeholders working to improve the way health care is delivered to people across the county, across various payers, programs, and delivery models. A4H provides advocacy, research, and education to improve outcomes and patient experiences while lowering costs.
For more information, visit https://accountableforhealth.org/. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter (@acct4health). ###
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Accountable for Health supports the introduction of the bipartisan Patients First Act and looks forward to working with the bill's sponsors to strengthen these proposals and ensure they maximize physician participation in accountable care and improve quality while lowering costs for Medicare beneficiaries.
Accountable for Health is encouraged that CMS’s 2027 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule recognizes the central role primary care must play in building a stronger, more sustainable Medicare program.
Accountable for Health welcomed 2024 ACO REACH results, which showed nearly $1 billion in net Medicare savings while maintaining strong quality, further demonstrating the value of accountable care. We also urged policymakers to modernize how accountable care models are evaluated so assessments better reflect today's landscape and the latest evidence.
