The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will be accepting letters of intent from physician practices interested in participating in the Direct Contracting model, a new payment model aimed at practices serving at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
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First announced in April 2019, the Direct Contracting program is an advanced alternative payment model designed for organizations that are ready to take on more financial risk and have experience managing large populations through accountable care organizations or working with Medicare Advantage plans.
Interested practices will be able to choose from the Professional population-based payment, which has a lower risk-sharing arrangement (50% savings/losses), and the Global model, which offers a 100% savings/loss risk-sharing arrangement.
“The payment model options available under Direct Contracting aim to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing quality of care for beneficiaries,” agency officials said on a web page detailing information for the payment model.
The model offers a prospectively determined and predictable revenue stream for participants and aims to transform risk-sharing arrangements through capitated and partially capitated population-based payments, open up participation in alternative payment models to more physicians, and reduce clinician burden by using smaller sets of quality measures and waivers to help facilitate the delivery of care.
Letters of intent are due to the agency by Dec. 10. CMS noted that submission of a letter of intent will not bind the organization to participating in the program.