Savings or Selection? Initial Spending Reductions in the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Considerations for Reform.

ABSTRACT: Policy Points Concerns have been raised about risk selection in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP). Specifically, turnover in accountable care organization (ACO) physicians and patient panels has led to concerns that ACOs may be earning shared-savings bonuses by selecting lower-risk patients or providers with lower-risk panels. We find no evidence that changes in ACO patient populations explain savings estimates from previous evaluations through 2015. We also find no evidence that ACOs systematically manipulated provider composition or billing to earn bonuses. The modest savings and lack of risk selection in the original MSSP design suggest opportunities to build on early progress. Recent program changes provide ACOs with more opportunity to select providers with lower-risk patient

SUBMITTER: McWILLIAMS JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7482384 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature