CMS Releases Rules For Renal Accountable Care Organizations

Circle Connections: Policy & Regulatory Updates The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the rules of the long-awaited, renal-specific accountable care organization demonstration. The good news is that renal providers have some experience in working with an integrated kidney care model. In the late 1990s, CMS launched a managed care demonstration to determine if ESRD patients could have better outcomes. Kaiser and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida were the participants; Kaiser's integrated care model proved more successful than Blue Cross, but patients in both plans did well with the extra benefits offered. The goal . . .