Administration Officials, After Rejecting ACA Medicare Model, Adopt One Like It

The Trump administration announced it would start a Medicare payment model very similar to the ones it canceled and curtailed last year, reports the New York Times . In the new program, Medicare will make a single "bundled payment" for nearly all the services provided in a 90-day period to certain Medicare patients who are admitted to a hospital or have certain outpatient medical procedures, according to officials. Providers can receive a bonus if they hold Medicare spending for these patients below a target set by the government, and they may have to repay the government if Medicare spending for them exceeds the target. The new project seeks to save money for the government while improving care for Medicare patients. The lump sum payments encourage healthcare providers to work together and coordinate care.