CMS removes ACO track from rural payment model 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services yesterday removed the Accountable Care Organization Transformation Track from the Community Health Access and Rural Transformation Model, and said it expects to soon announce additional proposals to increase ACO development in rural areas. 

CMS last year delayed seeking applications for the ACO track, which intended to test whether upfront investments, predictable capitated payments, and operational and regulatory flexibilities improve rural health care access and quality while reducing costs.