Request for Information Regarding Accountable Care Organizations and the Medicare Shared Saving Program (CMS-1345-NC)
The Affordable Care Act seeks to improve the quality of health care services and to lower health care costs by encouraging providers to create integrated health care delivery systems. The integrated systems will test new reimbursement methods intended to create incentives for health care providers to enhance health care quality and lower costs. The Medicare Shared savings program under section 3022 of the Affordable Care Act, which promotes the formation and operation of accountable care organizations (ACOs) is one important delivery system reform where groups or providers meeting the criteria specified by the Secretary may work together to manage and coordinate care for Medicare beneficiaries through an ACO. In addition, section 3021 of the Affordable Care Act establishes a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), which is authorized to test innovative payment and service delivery models. As we develop our initial rulemaking for the Shared Savings Program and begin the development of potential models in CMMI, we are seeking request for comments regarding certain aspects of the policies and standards that will apply to accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in the Medicare program under section 3021 or 3022 of the Affordable Care Act. To be assured consideration, comments must be received no later than December 3, 2010. Link to Federal Register on (11/12): http://www.ofr.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-28996_PI.pdf (Please note: Once this notice will publish in the Federal Register 11/17/10 the above link will change.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November Flu Shot Reminder Each Office Visit is an Opportunity. Medicare patients give many reasons for not getting their annual flu vaccination, but the fact is that there are 36,000 flu-related deaths in the United States each year, on average. More than 90% of these deaths occur in people 65 years of age and older. Please talk with your Medicare patients about the importance of getting their annual flu vaccination. This Medicare-covered preventive service will protect them for the entire flu season. And remember, vaccination is important for health care workers too, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get Your Flu Vaccine - Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare's coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please visit the following CMS websites http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/Flu_Products.pdf and http://www.cms.gov/AdultImmunizations. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv.
