CMS Sticks To Mandatory Pay Bundles, Despite Rep. Price's Opposition

CMS published Tuesday (Dec. 20) regulations on mandatory bundled pay demonstrations for cardiac and joint-replacement services, even though the incoming Republican administration opposes requiring providers to participate in demonstrations that test changes to Medicare reimbursement, and the agency finished writing policy for the accountable care organization Track 1 +, which aims to get more physicians to accept the risk of penalties for poor performance. CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt said he anticipates the ACO Track 1 + will attract 70,000...