8/17/2020
Last week’s Viewpoint noted that while the President’s Executive Order on Improving Rural Health set a foundation for improvements, he directed HHS and other agencies to flesh it out. Well, the detail work has already begun with CMS’s announcement of its new Community Health Access and Rural Transformation (“CHART”) Model.
For nearly a decade, our rural advisory committee to the Secretary has been recommending a rural-specific payment model, so we’re excited that our colleagues at CMS have come through with this initiative to address rural disparities in access to care while “ensuring rural providers remain financially sustainable for years to come and can offer additional services such as those that address social determinants of health.”
CHART will offer providers upfront investment through capitated payments in a revamped shared savings model, as well as some regulatory flexibility. The CMMI CHART Team is hosting a webinar TOMORROW, 8/18, at 1pm ET. If you are unable to join on such short notice, please contact me for access to the CMS archives.
The new model sounds hopeful, but as is typical, it’s in a demonstration phase for now, so stay tuned to the Viewpoint for updates and feel free to email any questions and ideas you’d like to have me relay to the Committee.
–Joe
