CMS extends ACO fraud and abuse waivers
The Waiver IFC will remain in effect through November 2, 2015, unless a final waiver rule becomes effective on an earlier date
Last week the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published a joint notice continuing the effectiveness of fraud and abuse law waivers granted in 2011 in connection with the Medicare Shared Savings Program, which is intended to encourage physicians, hospitals, and certain other types of providers and suppliers to form accountable care organizations (ACOs).
By way of background, in a November 2, 2011, joint OIG-CMS interim final rule with comment period, the agencies established waivers of the application of the federal physician self-referral law, the federal anti-kickback statute, and certain civil monetary penalties law provisions to specified arrangements involving ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Program (the Waiver IFC).
Because of a general 3-year deadline for publishing Medicare final rules after the publication of a proposed or interim final rule, the agencies are extending the timeline for publication of a final rule concerning Shared Savings Program waivers to avoid “creating legal uncertainty for ACOs participating in the Shared Savings Program and potentially disrupting ongoing business plans or operations of some ACOs.”
[See also: ACOs get down to brass tacks.]
The notice also states that CMS is developing a proposed rule to make certain modifications to the Shared Savings Program regulations. In order to ensure that the final waiver regulations align with the Shared Savings Program rules, the agencies believe “the prudent course of action at this time is to extend the effectiveness of the Waiver IFC.” Thus, the Waiver IFC will remain in effect through November 2, 2015, unless a final waiver rule becomes effective on an earlier date.
In the notice, the agencies also suggest that they would benefit from additional stakeholder input to inform their understanding of:
- how and to what extent ACOs are using the waivers;
- whether the existing waivers serve the needs of ACOs and the Medicare program;
- whether the waivers adequately protect the Medicare program and beneficiaries from the types of harms associated with referral payments or payments to reduce or limit services; and
- whether there are new or changed considerations that should inform the development of additional notice and comment rulemaking.
No deadline is specified for providing feedback on these considerations.
