AHA urges CMS to delay radiation oncology model, changes to BPCI Advanced

In a letter today, AHA again urged the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation to delay the start date for its new radiation oncology alternative payment model until Jan. 1, 2022. The complex model, which will be mandatory in certain areas of the country and for which many details are still forthcoming, “would be difficult to implement in three months in the best of circumstances; it will be nearly impossible to implement in three months during a public health emergency,” AHA wrote.

AHA also urged CMMI to reconsider sudden changes to the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced model effective Jan. 1, especially the move to clinical episode service line groups. “Requiring model participants to take on risk for large, diverse bundles of episodes — instead of allowing them to choose individual episodes as is current policy — will require more financial risk than many participants can currently bear,” AHA wrote. It urged the agency at least to delay the changes for a year so participants can model their impact before having to make participation decisions.