On October 16, 2017, AAPM&R submitted a comment letter on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Proposed Rule: Cancellation of Advancing Care Coordination Through Episode Payment and Cardiac Rehabilitation Incentive Payment Models; Changes to Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Payment Mode.
The comments included agreement with the cancellation of upcoming mandatory models, as well as scaling back of the mandatory nature of the current CJR initiative, noting the problems posed for patients impacted by the mandatory models as well as the burden on physicians and health care systems which may not be ready to transition to such a model.
Your Academy also recommended, however, that the incentive payment initiative related to Cardiac Rehabilitation should not be cancelled as it has the potential to encourage the use of appropriate services and can be implemented as a voluntary measure.
Read the full comment letter here.