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CMS & Medicare Programs

Expert articles and analysis related to cms & medicare programs.

199 articles•Last 7 Days

AI Summary — Last 7 Days

This week, CMS advanced two major initiatives shaping the future of Medicare value-based care: the launch of the new 10-year, voluntary ACCESS model and the proposed nationwide, mandatory expansion of the joint replacement bundled payment model (CJR-X). The ACCESS model accepted over 150 provider and digital health participants, testing whether lower-than-expected "lean" payment rates tied to chronic condition outcomes—focusing on diabetes, obesity, MSK pain, and depression—can drive technology-enabled chronic care at scale, sparking debate over its financial sustainability and potential as a value-based accelerant (CMS announces 150 participants for upcoming ACCESS model launch). At the same time, CMS proposed resurrecting and expanding mandatory bundled payments for joint replacements, signaling renewed federal commitment to payment reforms that tightly link hospital-home health coordination and cost accountability (CMS Proposes Resurrection and Nationwide Expansion of Mandatory Joint Replacement Bundled Payment Model (CJR-X)). These moves intensify focus on provider risk, technology partnerships, and the balance between voluntary and mandatory value-based arrangements in Medicare.

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