CMS Issues RFI on Oncology Care First Model

Late Friday, Nov. 1, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center) released an informal Request for Information (RFI), on value-based payment to support high-quality oncology care. In the Nov. 1 announcement the Innovation Center stated they hope to gather feedback during today's Public Listening Session that will outline a potential Oncology Care First (OCF) Model.

The Innovation Center stated Friday at the Nov. 4 Public Listening Session and in submitted written feedback, they hope to solicit stakeholder input on the following targeted topics:

1. The potential OCF Model would seek to improve health outcomes and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. How could the potential model support participants’ care transformation through practice redesign activities? Specifically, how could the potential model build on lessons learned from the implementation of the practice redesign activities included in the Oncology Care Model (OCM)? What revisions or additions should be made to the OCM practice redesign activities in the potential model?
2. We welcome feedback on the potential payment methodology, including the structure and design of the monthly population payment and the performance-based payment. We are considering the inclusion of additional services in the monthly population payment, such as imaging or lab services, and seek feedback on adding these or other services to the monthly population payment.
3. We encourage feedback on the conceptualized risk arrangements, in particular, how a downside risk arrangement might be best constructed in terms of the level of risk.

We invite feedback on the interest of physician group practices (PGPs) and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) in participating in a potential OCF Model. We are particularly interested in hearing from PGPs and HOPDs about the conceptualized participation eligibility parameters (e.g., the grouping concept), and whether they think that meeting those parameters would be feasible. We also invite feedback from potential payer partners, including commercial payers and state Medicaid agencies. We welcome suggestions about the model concept that would better incentivize participation in the potential model.

CMMI Public Listening Session on Potential Oncology Payment Model
Monday, Nov. 4, 2019
1:00 to 4:00 PM EST

Registration for the Public Listening Session is required. There are three ways to participate: in person, via livestream video, or via teleconference. REGISTER HERE.

Posted 11/04/19