09 Apr HCTTF Joins Coalition Letter Urging CMMI to Accelerate CPC+ Payments
The Health Care Transformation Task Force joined an industry coalition letter urging the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to accelerate CPC+ payments forward to participating health care providers. Primary care physicians and providers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic are providing care to the growing population of individuals infected, while also maintaining access to care for those patients who are not infected but require ongoing care for their health conditions in the community.
CPC+ was an important step to move physicians and practices away from the limitations of fee for service. However, our experience to date with CPC+ practices navigating the COVID-19 pandemic is that they are still experiencing financial difficulties that endanger not only their ability to provide the enhanced services of CPC+, but even the basic services of the practice. As this is largely a crisis-related cash flow issue, we believe CMS can strengthen the CPC+ program and its participating practices by advancing next quarter’s care management fees (CMF) now. Waiving notice and comment rulemaking when doing so will provide immediate relief to hospitals and physicians.
- Advance three months (at least May – July 2020) of CPC+ CMF payments as soon as possible.
- Continue making CPC+ CMF payments on schedule for the duration of the national emergency.
- Advance next quarter’s primary care prospective payment for Track 2 practices.
- Following the end of the national emergency, CPC+ CMF payments would be reduced in order for CMMI to recoup the advancement.
- Following the end of the national emergency, CPC+ Track 2 practices would have the primary care prospective payment reduced 50% for the next two quarters to repay the advancement.