Accountable for Health

Last month, A4H CEO Mara McDermott attended the Digital Healthcare Innovation Summit (DHIS) in Boston. The summit is an annual gathering of the leading innovators, investors, payers, providers, and policymakers who are helping to revolutionize healthcare. Mara participated in a panel discussion titled "Forming and Scaling in Value-Based Care, including Specialty Focused Care," during which she discussed advancing accountable care for specialty care, accelerating the transformation through existing policies, and exciting new areas of transformation like maternity care.

Accountable for Health is proud to support our members and collaborators in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model and is thrilled to see almost 400 participating organizations that will serve hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. CMS announced today the launch of the GUIDE model, which aims to improve the quality of life for people with dementia, reduce strain on their unpaid caregivers, and enable people with dementia to remain in their homes and communities through comprehensive and coordinated dementia care. To learn more about the GUIDE model, and read about the participating organizations, visit https://go.cms.gov/40Grf6E. #GUIDE #CMS

Don't miss A4H CEO Mara McDermott at the Virtual Fifth National Medicare Advantage Summit, happening July 9-12, 2024! During the conference, Mara will lend her expert opinion during a Fireside Chat with Molly Turco, Senior Advisor, CMS, on the Medicare Advantage landscape for accountable care. To learn more and register, visit https://bit.ly/3Nejv7o

A recent article from The Heritage Foundation recommends ways Congress can reform Medicare physician payments. The article states that Congress should look beyond Medicare’s Merit-Based Incentive Program (MIPS) and make advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs) more attractive for clinicians. To read the full article, visit https://herit.ag/4cLhx86

In June, A4H submitted feedback on the United States Senate Committee on Finance White Paper on Bolstering Chronic Care through Physician Payment: Current Challenges and Policy Options in Medicare Part B. In our response, A4H encourages Congress to extend the A-APM participation bonus, ensure that the incentive for participating in accountable care is stronger than the incentive for remaining in fee-for-service, and accelerate the transition to APMs.

Catch up on A4H’s latest activity in D.C. and the most recent news from Congress, the Administration, and our leadership in our bi-weekly newsletter. Read the latest issue below. https://conta.cc/4bpqS44

Yesterday, A4H hosted a Hill Briefing on Alternative Payment Models: The Cure for Our Fragmented Delivery System! After opening remarks from Representatives Kim Schrier, MD (D-WA) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), panelists discussed the value of alternative payment models (APMs) in improving patient care, driving Medicare savings, and lowering health care costs. Thank you to our speakers John Barkett, Brendan Fulmer, Melanie Matthews, Dr. Clive Fields, and Dr. Farhad Modarai for providing your insight and expertise on successful APMs and how they can influence future models.

Last week, Elizabeth Fowler (Liz F.), director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) testified in a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing, highlighting the successes of alternative payment models and projected cost savings from the Innovation Center’s portfolio. At the hearing, many lawmakers expressed support for the Innovation Center’s goals and A4H was pleased to see bi-partisan support for delivery system reform, with special thanks to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Rep. Frank Pallone, Rep. Raul Ruiz, Rep. Tony Cárdenas, and Rep. Kim Schrier, MD for speaking in support of accountable care, and how it can incentivize efficiency, improve patient care and outcomes, and lower costs.

Last week, Elizabeth Fowler (Liz F.), director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) testified in a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing, highlighting the successes of alternative payment models and projected cost savings from the Innovation Center’s portfolio. At the hearing, many lawmakers expressed support for the Innovation Center’s goals and A4H was pleased to see bi-partisan support for delivery system reform, with special thanks to Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Rep. Frank Pallone, Rep. Raul Ruiz, Rep. Tony Cárdenas, and Rep. Kim Schrier, MD for speaking in support of accountable care, and how it can incentivize efficiency, improve patient care and outcomes, and lower costs.

Have you registered for Accountable for Health's upcoming Hill Briefing? Don't miss out on the chance to discuss real-world examples of successful APMs and what can be learned from them for future models with experts John Barkett, Brendan Fulmer, Melanie Matthews, and Clive Fields. To register for this free event, visit https://bit.ly/4aM5zcJ.