APM Track Analysis

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For those willing to take on a bit more risk, they can choose the APM track. CMS’s website describes this track as a payment approach that gives added incentive payments to provide high-quality and cost-efficient care. (Health and Human Services, 2018a) APMs can apply to a specific clinical condition, a care episode, or a population. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are one example of how providers can participate in the APM track and are becoming more common. In fact, here is Lucas County there are two prevalent ACOs; ProMedica Health Network, Inc., of which the University of Toledo Physicians, LLC is a participant, and the Northwest Ohio Accountable Care Organization. An ACO can be described as a group of healthcare professionals …show more content…

Yet again, there are further levels of risks that can be accepted, commonly referred to as “ACO tracks.” The simplest risk track for an ACO is the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) Track 1. North State Quality Care Network (NSQCN) explains this track works by CMS giving an ACO “an annual target spending amount for your Medicare beneficiaries based on historical spending on those beneficiaries. If you as a group spend less than that target and meet quality requirements, you are eligible to keep a percentage of the savings.” (North State Quality Care …show more content…

In the past, each of these entities would receive payment separately from Medicare. Under the BPCI model, the hospital is held responsible for coordinating the care from each source throughout the patient’s joint replacement process. CMS would set a total lump sum target spending amount for a patient’s entire process based upon the hospital’s own historical standardized spending and regional historical standardized spending. Depending on the participant hospital’s quality and episode spending performance, the hospital may receive an additional payment from Medicare or be required to repay Medicare for a portion of the episode spending. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

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