Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), also known as the Innovation Center, is a component of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, the CMMI is tasked with testing innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care for individuals who receive benefits from Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

History

The CMMI was created under Section 3021 of the ACA, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The establishment of the CMMI was part of a broader effort to reform the healthcare system in the United States by promoting value-based care and improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Mission and Goals

The primary mission of the CMMI is to test innovative payment and service delivery models with the potential to improve the quality of care and reduce costs. The goals of the CMMI include:

• Reducing the growth of healthcare costs while promoting better health outcomes.
• Enhancing the quality of care delivered to Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP beneficiaries.
• Encouraging the development and testing of new healthcare delivery models.

Key Initiatives

The CMMI has launched several key initiatives and models, including:

• Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs): Groups of doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high-quality care to their Medicare patients.
• Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI): A model that links payments for the multiple services beneficiaries receive during an episode of care.
• Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+): A national advanced primary care medical home model that aims to strengthen primary care through regionally-based multi-payer payment reform and care delivery transformation.

Impact and Evaluation

The CMMI is required to evaluate the impact of its models on cost and quality. Successful models can be expanded in scope and duration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services if they are shown to reduce spending without reducing quality, or improve quality without increasing spending.

Challenges

The CMMI faces several challenges, including:

• Balancing innovation with the need for rigorous evaluation.
• Ensuring stakeholder engagement and buy-in from providers and patients.
• Navigating the complex regulatory environment of the U.S. healthcare system.

Also see

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• Medicare (United States)
• Medicaid
• Children's Health Insurance Program