As previously reported, CMS has established a public-private partnership, the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, to support HHS’s goal of moving Medicare and the broader health industry from a FFS model towards alternative payment models that emphasize value. CMS is now inviting payers, providers, employers, purchasers, state partners, consumer groups, individual consumers, and other interested parties to join the Network and participate in a kickoff event scheduled for March 25, 2015.

Among other things, the Network will: facilitate joint implementation of new models of payment and care delivery; define how best to report on new payment models; collaborate to generate evidence, share approaches, and remove barriers; develop common approaches to issues such as beneficiary attribution, financial models, benchmarking, quality and performance measurement, and risk adjustment; create implementation guides for payers, purchasers, providers, and consumers; and disseminate findings. In order to participate in the Network, interested parties must:

• Support national goals for use of alternative payment models (e.g., accountable care organizations, bundled payments, and advanced primary care medical homes) for the U.S. health system that match or exceed the Medicare FFS goals (30% alternative payment model penetration by 2016 and 50% by 2018);
• Agree that progress towards national goals should be measured;
• Work with Network participants to establish standard definitions for alternative payment models;
• Set organization-specific goals for alternative payment models within the first six months; and
• Participate in reporting of progress towards national alternative payment model goals.

The Network will operate independently of HHS and other government entities, and its activities will be supported by an independent contractor that will act as a convener and produce “best practice” white papers.