4 Takeaways From the Direct Contracting Financial Methodology Release

On Thursday, September 17th, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released its highly anticipated series of financial guidelines for the Direct Contracting (DC) program. As part of the CMS Primary Cares Initiative, DC provides new payment models that aim to transform primary care to deliver better value for patients throughout the healthcare system. It allows providers to develop value-based care capabilities within Medicare populations that typically make up the largest share of a provider’s panel, thus creating a halo effect for managing risk in commercial and Medicare Advantage populations.

What does the newly released financial methodology mean for your organization? Below are four recommendations on what health systems should do now.