The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released its first comprehensive strategy update in the past two years, touting progress made in its shift to value-based reimbursement and solidifying its goals to continue to push towards quality.
The 2016 Quality Strategy Update noted progress in legislation and payment reform initiatives, namely new requirements stemming from the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015.
"The implementation of MACRA is a major opportunity to put a broad range of health care providers on the path to value through the new Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and incentive payments for participation in certain Alternative Payment Models," said Patrick Conway, acting deputy administrator and chief medical officer at CMS.
The Update aligns with the National Quality Strategy in two major highlighted areas. One, CMS lays out a three-pronged mission for itself including: improving overall quality of care by centering care on the patient, and making it more reliable, accessible and safe; addressing behavioral, social and environmental influences on health and supporting proven solutions to provide better care; and reducing healthcare costs across the board from individuals to businesses to communities and the government.
CMS also laid out six specific goals they hope will drive that mission: Reduce harm caused while delivering care, strengthen personal and family engagement together in care, effective communication and coordination of care, treatment and prevention of chronic disease, promote healthy living in communities and make care affordable.
They said by the end of next year, 85 percent of all traditional Medicare payments to quality or value and 30 percent of traditional Medicare payments should be tied to alternative payment models.