What are the financial risks in TEAM?  Hospitals are preparing for the launch of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Transforming Episode Accountability Model (TEAM) in 2026.   To help you understand both the opportunities and financial risks for participants, DataGen put together a comprehensive white paper, CMS Transforming Episodes Accountability Model Financial Risk Guide.   [Access it Now for Key Updates]  Keep reading for highlights of what’s inside.   Exploring the goals and structure of CMS TEAM Model  CMS TEAM Model is designed to enhance care quality and cost-efficiency. It aims to revolutionize how hospitals manage patient care over 30-day episodes for specific surgical procedures by holding them accountable for the quality and cost of care delivered.   As seen on CMS’ Transforming Episode Accountability Model overview webcast , this model not only seeks to improve patient outcomes, but encourages hospit...

Key CMMI updates to the EOM  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released exciting updates to the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) along with a new opportunity for a second cohort of participants.   The EOM aims to enhance the quality of care for cancer patients while reducing costs under the Medicare fee-for-service program. The updates come on the heels of lower-than-expected model participation .   This blog will discuss key EOM updates, application details, eligibility requirements and important deadlines.  New cohort opportunity  Request for applications: CMS issued an RFA to recruit a second cohort of participants and payers for the EOM.  Timeline:  Second cohort start date: July 1, 2025  Second cohort end date: June 30, 2030  Initial performance period start date: July 1, 2023  Model test end date for all participants: June 30, 2030 (extended from June 30, 2028)  Notable changes to the EOM model...

Innovation that benefits only the privileged is not progress. While accountable care organizations helped show that a focus on value was missing from healthcare, new ACO priorities reflect that equity has been missing, too — for providers as well as patients. In its recent Strategy Refresh , the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation noted that its “Medicare-focused models have limited reach to Medicaid beneficiaries and safety net providers.” CMMI’s new ACO model and planned improvements to existing ones are designed to help more providers reap the benefits of value-based care. If it’s broke, fix it The objectives of accountable care are clear: higher quality at lower costs, involving less waste and a better experience for all. Those outcomes have not fully arrived. CMMI reports that “only six out of more than 50 models launched have generated statistically significant savings to Medicare and to taxpayers” since 2011. The reasons are many but include the need for a new standa...