CMS issued a proposed rule Dec. 9 that would make several changes to the Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, effective Jan. 1.
Four notes:
1. The Increasing Organ Transplant Access Model, launched July 1, is a six-year mandatory model that incentivizes kidney transplant hospitals to expand access to life-saving transplants by improving care delivery, efficiency and waitlist coordination.
2. CMS is proposing updates to the model’s eligibility criteria, including the exclusion of Veterans Affairs and military medical facilities. It would also raise the minimum number of annual kidney transplants required for participation from 11 to 15.
3. The agency pitched an update to the composite graft survival rate metric, which would add risk-adjustment methodology based on transplant donor and recipient characteristics.
4. CMS also floated policy changes affecting repayment rules, extreme and uncontrollable circumstances, transparency and public reporting, voluntary health equity plans and beneficiary protections, among other proposals, according to AHA News.
