SAVE $300 ON CONFERENCE REGISTRATION! ENDS TOMORROW!
The early registration deadline for the NAACOS Spring Conference, April 22–24 at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor ends tomorrow, Friday, March 7 at 5:00 pm ET. After this time, prices for the main meeting will increase by $300, and prices for the pre-conference workshops on April 22 and the virtual conference will increase by $100. Group rates will also increase after March 7. Register TODAY for the in-person conference or for the live webcast to receive the discounted rates.
The main conference agenda, which is now posted on our website, features leading value-based care experts and CMS officials sharing timely and essential information for ACOs.
If you have any trouble registering for the conference, please email us at conference@naacos.com. |
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• • • Welcome New Partners |
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NEW NAACOS RESOURCE ON SERVICES TO ADDRESS HRSNS
Beginning in 2024 and updated for 2025, CMS introduced new Medicare Part B services to address beneficiaries’ health related social needs (HRSNs), including community health integration, principal illness navigation, and social determinants of health (SDOH) risk assessment. These services were created to better account for resources required to furnish whole-person, team-based care. Check out the NAACOS resource on the codes and share feedback on implementing the codes with us.
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• • •Congressional Updates |
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BUDGET TALKS DOMINATE ON CAPITOL HILL
- Government Funding— The March 14 government funding deadline is quickly approaching and bipartisan negotiations to avoid a government shutdown remain at an impasse due to ongoing concerns from Congressional Democrats regarding the Trump administration’s actions to cut government programs and staff. Another continuing resolution is likely, and a partial government shutdown is not off the table. Congress also has until March 31 to reach an agreement to extend key Medicare extenders.
- Budget Reconciliation— House and Senate Republicans have each passed dueling budget resolutions to enact President Trump’s legislative priorities. Congressional leaders will be working over the coming weeks to address key policy differences with the goal of moving forward with a broad budget bill that will allow Congressional Republicans to extend tax cuts, cut spending from mandatory programs such as Medicaid, and increase the debt ceiling. The budget reconciliation process is a complex legislative tool that will require near unanimous support from Congressional Republicans and will take months before potential enactment.
- PBMs— The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing last week to discuss reforms to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). While PBM reform is a bipartisan issue, disagreements between Republicans and Democrats on unrelated spending and health matters are slowing down the progress towards enactment.
- Nominations— The Senate continues to advance President Trump’s nominees for key administration positions. Attention has now turned to sub-agency level nominations. The Senate Finance Committee will begin holding hearings for HHS and CMS positions throughout the month of March.
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• • •Administration Updates |
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A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
In a recent policy statement, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicated that it would repeal a waiver that required HHS to follow public notice and comment for rules and regulations relating to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts. While we don’t have full information yet, it is important to note that the statement indicated that HHS will continue to follow notice and comment rulemaking procedures in all instances in which it is required to do so by statute. This is the case for most health care payment regulations, but we will continue to monitor the issue and will alert you of any changes.
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NEW CMMI DIRECTOR DELIVERS FIRST PUBLIC REMARKS
Abe Sutton, the new director of the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI), spoke at this week’s meeting of the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), noting that CMMI’s work will emphasize chronic disease management, leverage the power of data and promote beneficiary choice. These are his first public remarks since taking office, indicating that they are still in the process of reviewing the current portfolio of CMMI models and will share more information on next steps later. More information on the meeting, including recording, will be posted on the PTAC’s website.
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TACHC Accountable Care Organization LLC |
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Education Opportunities |
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REGISTER FOR FIRST QUARTER PARNER CALL
NAACOS Partners! Join us for an exclusive call for Partner Circle, Business Partners, and Alliance Partners on Thursday, March 20 from 12:30 – 1:30 PM ET. You’ll have the chance to meet the new NAACOS CEO, Emily Brower, and hear updates from NAACOS staff on 2025 initiatives. We will discuss all things Spring Conference, like sponsorship opportunities that are still available and all the tips and tricks to make the most of your time onsite. This meeting is open to Partners only. Register today!
| JOIN CALL ON ADVANCED PRIMARY CARE MANAGEMENT CODES
New coding and payment for Advanced Primary Care Management (APCM) under Medicare Part B was established beginning January 1, 2025. These codes bundle care management and communication technology-based services and were added to the definition of primary care services used in Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) assignment for the current performance year. Join this NAACOS’ Discovery Call on Tuesday, March 11 from 2:00-3:00pm ET to learn about the new codes and billing requirements. Participants will hear from Katy Tapp, LMSW, VP of Clinical Operations at Commonwealth ACO on their experiences implementing APCM services, followed by an open forum discussion.
| SEPERATE WEBINARS ON SPECIALIST PARTICIPATION IN VALUE MODELS
Join NAACOS for a two-part webinar series on engaging specialists and incentivizing value-based care performance. The first webinar, Skin in the Game: Incentivizing VBC Performance at the Participant Level, will be on March 12 at 1:00 pm ET and will discuss achieving performance goals of VBC arrangements through incentives at the individual participant level. The second webinar, Beyond Primary Care: Engaging Specialists in Value Based Care Models, will be on March 13 at 12:00 pm ET and will discuss the current landscape of engaging specialists in meaningful ways to advance value-based care across the care continuum. Both webinars will feature Milliman actuaries sharing their work and insight on each topic. Separate registration will be required for each individual event.
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• • •What We’re Watching:
News About ACOs and Health Care |
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