What is CPC+ - General Guide

GENERAL

Q: Why is CMS testing CPC+?

CMS believes that through multi-payer payment reform and practice transformation, primary care practices will be able to build capabilities and care processes to deliver patient-centered, high quality care and lower the use of unnecessary services that drive total costs of care. Payment redesign by payers, both public and private, will offer the ability for greater cash flow and flexibility for primary care practices.

Q: When will CPC+ Round 2 start and how long will it last? Can my practice join later? CPC+ Round 2 is expected to begin on January 1, 2018. Eligible practices located in the CPC+ Round 2 regions can apply from May 18-July 13, 2017.

CPC+ Round 2 consists of five performance years, as identified in the table below. CMS expects practices to participate for the full five years of their respective round of the model and will not allow practices to join the model after CMS selects practices to participate in each round of the Model.

PERFORMANCE YEARS FOR CPC+ Round 2 Calendar Year Round 2 Performance Year

2018 1
2019 2
2020 3
2021 4
2022 5

Q: Are practices required to participate in CPC+ for the full five years?

CMS expects practices to participate in CPC+ for the full five years. However, participation in CPC+ is voluntary and practices may withdraw from the model without penalty during the fiveyear performance period. Practices are required to notify CMS at least 90 calendar days before the planned day of withdrawal. Departing the model before completion of a performance year (PY) puts a practice at risk for recoupment of unearned CPC+ payments.

Q: Where will CPC+ Round 2 be implemented?

CPC+ Round 2 will be implemented in four regions throughout the U.S.:

1. Louisiana: Statewide
2. Nebraska: Statewide
3. North Dakota: Statewide
4. New York: Greater Buffalo Region

The CPC+ Round 2 regions were selected based on payer alignment and market density to ensure that CPC+ practices have sufficient payer support to make fundamental changes in their primary care delivery.

Q: How is CMS defining the “Greater Buffalo Region (NY)”? 

Based on payer alignment and market density, CMS is defining the Greater Buffalo region with the following counties:

• New York: Greater Buffalo Region: Erie County, NY; Niagara County, NY Only practices located in these counties are eligible to apply and participate in CPC+ Round 2.

Q: Which payers have been selected to partner in CPC+ Round 2?

 CPC+ Round 2 payer partners in the four new CPC+ Round 2 regions:

1. Louisiana: Amerigroup Louisiana, Inc., AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana

2. Nebraska: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska

3. New York: Greater Buffalo Region: HealthNow New York Inc., Independent Health Association, Inc.

4. North Dakota: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Q: When and how can a practice apply to participate in CPC+ Round 2? 

Based on payer interest and proposed alignment, CMS announced four regions for CPC+ Round

2. Practices located in these regions are eligible to apply via an online portal (https://app1.innovation.cms.gov/cpcplus/) from May 18-July 13, 2017. For questions about the Model or the solicitation process, please email CPCPlusapply@telligen.com or call 1-877-309- 6114.

Q: How many practices will be accepted in CPC+ Round 2? 

CMS expects to accept up to 1,000 practices in CPC+ Round 2.

Q: Why will new practice applications only be accepted in CPC+ Round 2 regions? CPC+ is a voluntary test of primary care payment and delivery system changes at the practice level, and will be independently evaluated throughout the five years of each Round of the model. The evaluation compares practices in each region to similar practices in the same region. CMS is unable to add new practices in the existing regions without potentially compromising the evaluation. Therefore, new practices will only be able to apply for participation in CPC+ in new regions selected for CPC+ Round 2, not in the 14 Round 1 regions.

Q: What is expected of the control group practices in CPC+ Round 2?

CMS will randomly assign eligible practices to an intervention group and a control group. The control group practices will not be required to implement the CPC+ care delivery practice changes, will not receive CPC+ Payments, and will not participate in the CPC+ learning communities, and will sign a different CPC+ Participation Agreement with CMS than the   intervention group. Additionally, they will not be considered participants in an Advanced APM through participation in the CPC+ control group, but may otherwise be Advanced APM participants through their participation in other CMS models or programs. Control group practices may be compensated for their participation in CPC+ evaluation-related activities. CMS also expects to promulgate a rule that could allow for control group practices to potentially receive favorable scoring under the Improvement Activities category of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), subject to notice and comment rulemaking. More details for control group practices will be announced in late 2017.

Q: Are practices outside of the CPC+ Round 2 regions eligible to apply and participate in CPC+?

Practices will only be eligible to apply to Round 2 if they are located in one of the selected Round 2 regions. The purpose of the CPC+ multi-payer design is to ensure that primary care practices receive the adequate support from multiple payers to change care delivery for a practice’s entire panel of patients. The CPC+ regions were carefully selected to ensure adequate payer support for participating practices.

a Greater Kansas City Region is defined as Johnson County, KS; Wyandotte County, KS; Clay County, MO; Jackson County, MO; Platte County, MO

b North Hudson-Capital Region of New York is defined as Albany County, NY; Columbia County, NY; Dutchess County, NY; Greene County, NY; Montgomery County, NY; Orange County, NY; Rensselaer County, NY; Saratoga County, NY; Schenectady County, NY; Schoharie County, NY; Sullivan County, NY; Ulster County, NY; Warren County, NY Washington County, NY

c Ohio-Northern Kentucky Region is defined as all counties in Ohio; Boone County, KY; Campbell County, KY; Grant County, KY; Kenton County, KY

d Greater Philadelphia Region is defined as Bucks County, PA; Chester County, PA; Delaware County, PA; Montgomery County, PA; Philadelphia County, PA

e Greater Buffalo Region is defined as Erie County, NY and Niagara County, NY

Q: Is CPC+ an Advanced APM under the Quality Payment Program?

CPC+ is included on the list of Advanced APMs. This determination was based on medicalhome model-specific requirements. For payment years 2019 through 2024, clinicians who meet the threshold for sufficient participation in Advanced APMs and who meet requirements, as applicable for 2018 onward, regarding parent organization size are excluded from the Meritbased Incentive Payment System (MIPS) reporting requirements and payment adjustments and qualify for a five percent APM incentive payment.

Q: Where can practices find more information about the QPP and Advanced APMs? 

More information about the QPP and Advanced APMs can be found on the new website from CMS: https://qpp.cms.gov.

Q. What role do other payers play in CPC+?

Multi-payer engagement is an essential goal of CPC+, as it enables both public and private payers to sponsor comprehensive primary care reform. CMS will partner with payers that share Medicare’s interest in strengthening primary care in each of the CPC+ regions. Payer partners, both public and private, will provide their own financial support to practices, separate from that of Medicare Fee-for-Services (FFS). Any questions regarding non-Medicare payer support should be directed to the payer partner.