Podcast: New CMS Models and What They Mean to Long Term Care Providers 

In this episode, host Debbie Stadtler speaks with Nisha Hammel, vice president of reimbursement policy and population health for AHCA/NCAL, about the rapid shift from fee-for-service to value-based care and what it means for long-term care and assisted living providers.  

Nisha reflects on her journey from geriatric social work to national policy leadership and explains how CMS has introduced roughly 11 new payment models in the past year. These models place increasing emphasis on prevention, provider accountability, technology-enabled care, and patient engagement, with more than 70 percent of payments now tied to quality and patient experience.  

The conversation explores several models that could affect providers, including the mandatory TEAM model, the state-based AHEAD and GEO AHEAD initiatives, and the forthcoming 10-year LEAD ACO model. Nisha encourages providers to stay informed, talk with clinical partners about ACO participation, understand their baseline utilization data, strengthen on-site clinical workflows to reduce avoidable transfers, and take advantage of AHCA/NCAL resources such as toolkits and the Population Health Management Summit. 

Click here to listen to the episode.  

Source: Provider Magazine