On July 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2026 calendar year (CY 2026) Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (Proposed Rule). Among the many changes proposed, the Proposed Rule includes...more
On July 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released the proposed rule for the Calendar Year (“CY”) 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (“PFS”), formally titled CMS-1832-P....more
Decisions, decisions, decisions. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Trump Administration will have its hands full making decisions about Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models...more
While we all are focused on the election results, let’s take a quick break to digest some regs and eggs. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) “spoiled” all of us in the health policy world with a huge buffet of...more
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program to advance CMS’ broader strategy of growth, alignment, and equity. To improve the overall...more
On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued final rules concerning the 2023 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payment rates and 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule...more
The ACO Specialist Manual is a strategic guide to getting the optimum value-add contributions from each medical specialty in integrated health care. For purposes of this Manual, the teams are generally termed accountable care...more
With CMS’s continued “regulatory sprint to coordinated care,” the new Medicare Shared Savings Program regulations expand the playing field for ACOs to offer beneficiary incentive programs to encourage healthy outcomes. Termed...more
On December 21, 2018, CMS announced a final rule, subsequently published in the December 31 issue of the federal register, significantly overhauling the Medicare Shared Savings Program (“MSSP”). Among the important changes in...more
A live webinar presented by Smith Anderson health care lawyers Julian "Bo" Bobbitt, Robert Shaw and Shawn Parker. On December 21, 2018, CMS published “Pathways to Success,” the final rules overhauling Medicare’s ACO...more
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (the Rule) on December 21, 2018, which reshapes the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Termed “Pathways to Success,” the Rule, among other things, ...more
On November 2, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), released the 2017 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule, which finalized a number of new policies designed to improve Medicare payment for...more
On the heels of the release of its final rule implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2017 list of Advanced Alternative Payment...more
On Oct. 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule with comment period implementing the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA). The nearly 2,400 pages of...more
As recently reported by Modern Healthcare and other major healthcare news outlets, the Obama administration has granted tentative approval for Vermont to establish an all-payer reimbursement system. If granted final approval,...more
Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) can share costs of telehealth and remote patient monitoring services among their hospitals, providers/suppliers, and other ACO participants, according to federal regulations under the...more
Trends & Analysis - Since our last Qui Tam Update, we have identified 39 health-related False Claims Act (“FCA”) qui tam cases that have been unsealed. Of those cases...more
Final ACO Fraud Waiver Under OMB Review – The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reported on September 9, 2015, that it began its review of the final rule (CMS-1439-F; RIN 0938-AR30), titled “Medicare Shared...more
This is the sixth post in Health Care Law Today’s series on the final rule. This post addresses additional program requirements and beneficiary protections. The Medicare Shared Savings Program (“MSSP”) final rule...more
This is the third post in Health Care Law Today’s series on the final rule. This post addresses changes to sharing of beneficiary identifiable data. In its December 8, 2014 proposed rule revising the Medicare Shared...more
This is the second post in Health Care Law Today’s series on the final rule. This post addresses Eligibility Requirements, and the Application and the Renewal Process. ACO Eligibility Requirements - Under the...more
An Overview of the Medicare Shared Savings Program/Accountable Care Organization Final Rules - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released a final rule (Final Rule) that makes changes to the...more
On June 9, 2015, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a Final Rule that provides substantial new flexibility for Medicare Shared Savings Program (“MSSP”) Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”)....more
On March 10, 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced its “Next Generation ACO Model,” which CMS hopes will provide more experienced accountable care organizations an opportunity to assume higher levels of...more
In This Issue: - Summary of Next Generation ACO Model - Summary of Additional Guidance on ACO Pre-Participation & Participation Waivers - For More Information - Excerpt from Summary of Next...more