On December 20, 2011, CMS announced in a press release that it would be rolling out a new demonstration project for chronically ill Medicare patients. The “Independence at Home” demonstration (IAH), created by the Affordable Care Act, will allow up to 10,000 fee-for-services Medicare beneficiaries with “multiple chronic conditions” to receive in-home primary care services.
According to the press release and other CMS materials, certain eligible medical practices will work with CMS to provide care for a three-year period. Eligible medical practices must have doctors or nurse practitioners with experience in providing in-home primary care services. CMS will select up to 50 qualified medical practices to participate in IAH, and each participating practice must provide care to no fewer than 200 Medicare beneficiaries per year. Participating medical practices may receive incentive payments “if they succeed in providing high-quality care while reducing costs.” (CMS says it will evaluate each beneficiary’s care experience using quality measures.) Medical practices may not, however, participate in an Accountable Care Organization (e.g., the Medicare Shared Savings Program) while participating in IAH.
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