Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that: (1) The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMI) represents a valuable tool for testing innovative health care payment and service delivery models which can improve the coordination, quality, and efficiency of health care services. (2) The model testing process is intended to test concepts on a limited scale first in Phase I, then assess initial results, and, if results merit, expand the model to a larger test in Phase II to confirm the initial results. (3) Starting model testing on a limited scale, assessing results, and then expanding the model to confirm initial results protects the integrity of the Medicare program by minimizing unintentional losses or negative impacts to the patients or providers participating in Phase I model testing. (4) CMI should focus its attention on models most likely to succeed and should continually assess models and terminate those which are not generating results in keeping with its purpose—lowering costs while maintaining or preserving patient outcomes. (5) Mandatory models may be necessary to test certain payment models but should be used judiciously and be as limited in scope as possible to minimize accidental adverse impacts. (6) As CMI may waive certain provisions of Medicare regulations, Congress may block models which functionally alter or change the underlying existing statutes.