NAPH Submits Comments to CMS on ACOs - December 8, 2010

On Dec. 3, NAPH submitted comments in response to a request for information regarding accountable care organizations (ACOs) by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). NAPH’s letter urged CMS not only to facilitate participation by safety net providers in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, but also to develop a safety net ACO demonstration in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). NAPH will be submitting a more detailed safety net ACO proposal to the CMMI in the coming weeks. CMS announced Dec. 6 that the release of its proposed ACO rule, which will incorporate comments from the request for information, will be delayed from December until at least mid-January.