For participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, physician-based and rural providers who have come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve through the Advance Payment ACO Model. Through the Advance Payment ACO Model, selected participants will receive upfront and monthly payments, which they can use to make important investments in their care coordination infrastructures.
CMS previously announced last October that applications would only be accepted for April 1, 2012 and July 1, 2012 start dates. However, the Innovation Center of CMS has now announced that beginning August 1, 2012, it will be accepting applications for an additional round of Advance Payment ACOs that would begin on January 1, 2013.
Organizations interested in the Advance Payment ACO Model should start their application process by submitting a Notice of Intent to apply for the Medicare Shared Savings Program performance period that begins January 1, 2013. This Notice of Intent (NOI) is due June 29, 2012. Organizations that submit this NOI will then have the opportunity to submit applications to both the Medicare Shared Savings Program and the Advance Payment ACO Model.