On August 17, 2017 the MPS signed on to a draft [Key Principles Sign On Letter – as of 8-22] of “Key Principles to Strengthen and Support the All-Payer Model 2.0” being led by MedChi.  The participating organizations support the aim of improved healthcare quality and underscore that physicians must be collaborators in the redesign to ensure their voluntary participation.  Specific recommendations regarding MACRA-eligibility as an Advanced APM, reimbursement, benchmarking and liability are included.

On August 24, Maryland announced the release of draft terms for its Progression Plan, based on a pilot launched in 2014, that expands its decades-old all-payer agreement to include doctors and other providers.  Touted as a “First in the Nation Maryland Model,” the plan aims to improve access to care while reducing costs.  After public feedback and discussion, the final plan must be negotiated with and approved by CMS.  The Baltimore Sun notes that under the new proposal, other health care providers would be eligible for financial incentives and additional resources if they work as a team with hospitals to improve patients’ health and reduce Medicare expenses.  The proposal would not regulate doctors’ pay, but it aligns with new federal regulations that are similarly shifting doctors to payments based on the quality of care they provide.  MedChi believes this could create new opportunities for physicians to not only comply with new rules, but to allow them to benefit from new partnerships with hospitals that may not be available in other states.

The MPS would like to take a more active role with this initiative, especially in the areas of complex and chronic care management and enhancing behavioral health services and integration, including financing and system structure.   We hope to identify members who want to be involved in the evolution of Maryland’s all-payer system as it moves from a hospital-based fee-for-service system into a hospital+community practitioner based alternative payment system (APM). Please email Heidi Bunes for more information.