Skip to main content

Breaking down the major ACO changes from the MSSP final rule

Published Date
Author Leona Rajaee

iStock 655567024

On December 21, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) final rule for accountable care organizations (ACOs). The program is now referred to as Pathways to Success and encourages ACOs “to transition to performance-based risk more quickly and, for eligible ACOs, incrementally, to increase savings for the Trust Funds.”

The final rule does away with the previous tracks (Track 1, 1+, 2, and 3) and offers two participation options: BASIC and ENHANCED. Beginning on July 1, 2019, ACOs will enter into agreements under one of these new tracks for at least 5 years.

  • BASIC track, which would allow eligible ACOs to begin under a one-sided model and incrementally phase-in higher levels of risk that, at the highest level, would qualify as an Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) under the Quality Payment Program
  • ENHANCED track, based on the program’s existing Track 3, which provides additional tools and flexibility for ACOs that take on the highest level of risk and potential reward.

CMS states that one of the goals of the new structure is “Promoting accountability by accelerating the move to two-sided risk while promoting competition by encouraging participation by low revenue ACOs.” Under the Pathways to Success program, ACOs will be classified as “low revenue” or “high revenue.”

  • Low revenue ACOs identified as experienced with performance-based risk Medicare ACO initiatives, such as ACOs identified as having previously participated in the program under Track 2, Track 3 or the Track 1+ Model, are restricted to participating in either the BASIC track’s highest level of risk and reward or the ENHANCED track.
  • High revenue ACOs determined to be inexperienced with performance-based risk Medicare ACO initiatives would be limited to no more than a single agreement period under the BASIC track. High revenue ACOs determined to be experienced with performance-based risk Medicare ACO initiatives would be restricted to participating in the ENHANCED track.

CMS is offering an application cycle for a one-time new agreement period start date of July 1, 2019, and will resume the usual annual application cycle for agreement periods starting on January 1, 2020, and in subsequent years.