20 Organizations Jointly Urge CMS To Modify ACO Benchmarking Methodology & Further Refine Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) To Ensure Greater Participation

Twenty organizations submitted joint comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's February 3 proposed rule to modify the benchmark rebasing methodology for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in the MSSP program (ACO benchmarking proposed rule). The joint comments represent the collective views of organizations representing physicians, hospitals, medical group practices, academic medical centers and nearly all existing MSSP ACOs.

In the comments, signers expressed strong support for CMS's proposal to incorporate regional cost data into benchmarks, arguing that the current method of basing benchmarks solely on ACO-specific historical spending penalizes . . .