Two recent announcements by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has altered the implementation and operation of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Advanced model:
- CMS extended the deadline for returning the BPCI Advanced signed participation agreements and clinical episode selections to August 8, and the due date for program deliverables to Sept. 14 – both dates one week later than the original deadlines. The agency released a revised model timeline reflecting these changes.
- CMS also announced that BPCI Advanced participants will be able to retroactively withdraw beginning in March 2019. The move serves as a compromise to the American Hospital Association and other industry groups, which had requested that the agency add additional start dates in 2019.
The changes were likely made due to delays in the transmission of target prices and data to applicants, originally scheduled for May but not delivered until June. CMS said it is still planning to announce participants this September, and has maintained that program will still launch on October 1 as previously scheduled.
Even with the additional seven days to return signed participation agreements and clinical episode selections, the window to formally participate in BPCI Advanced is quickly closing. But if you still have questions about the model or bundled payment programs in general, MedBen has the answers.
The MedBen Analytics reporting platform has been delivering bundled payment insights to health systems participating in CMS Bundled Payment Care Initiatives since 2015. Among our clients are Top 30 and Top 100 earners from the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Program. We have managed bundled payment analytics for both retrospective and prospective BPCI participants.
MedBen Analytics is ready to help your organization make a smooth transition to bundled payments. For additional information or to set up a demonstration of our reporting platform, please contact MedBen President & CEO Kurt Harden at 888-633-2364 or email kharden@medben.com.