Seema Verma, the nominee to lead the CMS, said during her confirmation hearing Thursday that she may claw back parts of a rule that overhauled managed Medicaid programs. She also opposes turning Medicare into a voucher program and thinks rural providers shouldn't face risk in alternative payment models.
Two population health management initiatives that focus on increasing the use of primary care providers have reaped significant results for patients, says CMS Deputy Administrator and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Conway. The Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) and Multi-payer Advanced Primary Care Practice (MAPCP) Demonstration have reduced hospital admissions by 2 percent, cut emergency department use by 3 percent, and saved approximately $4.2 million, according to a report and blog post detailing the results.
The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC) applauds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) goal for 30 percent of Medicare payments to be in alternative payment models by the end of 2016 and 50 percent by the end of 2018.
HHS’s commitment to alternative payment models, like Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and bundled payments, as well as innovative care delivery models, like the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), signifies a positive shift in payment reform policy that moves away from the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) system.
If former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was the poster child for the pitfalls of health care reform, then Patrick Conway might be the hidden face of the law's promises.
A pediatrician and top administrator at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center until 2011, Conway is now leading the federal government's efforts to change the health care system – from one that rewards quantity to one that rewards quality.
