CMS Launches Innovation Center for Care Coordination

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today formally established the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Innovation Center). Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Innovation Center will examine new ways of delivering health care and paying health care providers that can save money for Medicare and Medicaid while improving the quality of care. CMS also announced the launch of new demonstration projects that will support efforts to better coordinate care and improve health outcomes for patients.

The Innovation Center will consult stakeholders across the healthcare sector including hospitals, doctors, consumers, payers, states, employers, advocates, relevant federal agencies, and others to obtain direct input on its operations and to build partnerships with those that interested in its work. The organization will also test models that include establishing an “open innovation community” that serves as an information clearinghouse of best practices in health care innovation. The Center will also work with stakeholders to create learning communities that help other providers rapidly implement these new care models. As part of this engagement, today, Administrator Berwick and Acting Director Gilfillan, met with stakeholders representing the health care industry, as well as consumers, states, and employers, to discuss the Innovation Center and its planned activities.

CMS also announced several new initiatives to strengthen primary care and better coordinate care for patients by testing “health home” and “medical home” concepts.