CMS Selects New Jersey for Participation in CPC+ Initiative

New Jersey will retain its position as one of 14 regions selected for participation in the CMS Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) initiative, scheduled to launch in January, 2017. CPC+ is an advanced primary care medical home delivery and payment model that builds on the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPCi) program, which began in 2012 and concludes at the end of this year.

Why You Should Apply for the CPC+ Program
Fundamentally restructuring how we pay for primary care is an important step towards our goal of reforming the health care system to one that is foundational in primary care. The CPC+ program, which is regionally-based and multi-payer, will launch formally in January 2017 and run for five years. CMS plans to identify and enroll 5,000 practices — up to 20,000 total participants — in 14 regions to participate in the program. Up to 2,500 practices will be selected to participate in one of two tracks. Practices can apply for CPC+ Track One or Track Two now through September 15, 2016.

CPC+ has been identified as an Advanced Alternative Payment model (Advanced APM) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) meaning that practices participating in the CPC+ program will be eligible to receive a 5 percent bonus payment on their Medicare allowable charges starting in 2019. This is an opportunity for ACP-NJ members and their practices to engage in a payment model that is supportive of advanced primary care functions while also providing an alternative to the MIPs program.

CMS CPC+ Open Door Forums
CMS is sponsoring a series of CPC+ Practice Open Door Forums through September 15, 2016 to share current information about the CPC+ Initiative and allow participants to ask questions for further clarification. To register for a CPC+ Practice Open Door Forum, please click on the event link in the calendar and enter your information. You will receive an email with details for attending the webinar.

Need More Information?
If you’d like more information on New Jersey’s participation in the CPCi or CPC+ initiatives, please give us a call at (609) 454-8517 or email theresa@acpnj.org. Additional resources are also available from CMS at https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/Comprehensive-Primary-Care-Plus