Federal Policy Developments Related to Primary Care

Department of Health and Human Services
 
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $125 million in workforce grants to support 14 nonprofit private and public organizations’ efforts toward underserved communities to “engage in locally tailored efforts to build vaccine confidence and bolster COVID-19 vaccinations.” These grants were authorized in the American Rescue Plan.
 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
 
CMS added 2019 Quality Payment Program performance information to the Doctors and Clinicians section of Medicare Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog. More information.
 
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
 
Elizabeth Fowler, Deputy Administrator and Director of CMMI, has been engaged in a listening tour of stakeholders as part of a review of CMMI models and a new strategic focus. She has mentioned the importance of primary care in several public forums and has included the PCC in her stakeholder outreach. She has also spoken of the importance of incorporating health equity as a formal goal of alternative payment models.
 
MedPAC
 
In chapter two of its June report, MedPAC recommends that the Secretary of Health and Human Services “harmonize” and reduce its portfolio of alternative payment models and ensure they work together to support the strategic objectives of reducing spending and improving quality. This recommendation suggests that primary care stakeholders should evaluate the potential of all CMMI and CMS models to drive investment in and transformation of primary care.

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