News: AHA to CMS: Delay new bundled payment model application deadline

Last month, CMS announced its plan to launch a new voluntary bundled payment model—the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced (BPCI Advanced)—but neglected to include a full package of information about the program. 

Because of the sparsity of the information, the American Hospital Association (AHA) recommended last week that CMS delay the application deadline from March 12 to April 16 and provide the complete information on the new program by March 1.

While the AHA’s letter to CMS says they agree with the general move towards quality-based care, they’re concerned about “the lack of sufficient operational detail about the model, making it difficult for hospitals and clinicians to make well-informed decisions as to participation.”

Only 12% of eligible hospitals signed up for CMS’ Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) Model 2 initiative and 46% of them dropped out completely within two years, according to a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The AHA’s plea for further information and guidance on the new program would hopefully increase participation in quality payment programs moving forward.

Editor’s note: To read the AHA’s whole letter, click here. To read about the BPCI Advanced program, click here. To read about the recent JAMA study, click here.