Direct Contracting: A Physician's Perspective with Dr. Krishnan Narasimhan

Direct Contracting is a new model from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI, or the CMS Innovation Center) aimed at reducing expenditures and preserving or enhancing quality of care for beneficiaries in Medicare fee-for-service (FFS). At a minimum, it’s an opportunity for providers to change the way they care for Medicare FFS patients. And if the Geographic Direct Contracting Model is launched (it’s currently under review by CMS), it will be a sea change in the 10 targeted “Geo” regions. Either way, it’s worth paying attention to.

We covered the Direct Contracting model and options at length in Episode 156 with Gail Zahtz. You should start there if Direct Contracting is new to you. During that conversation, Zahtz identified plenty of areas where the model could benefit doctors and their patients. However, she identified several grey areas that make it difficult for physicians to engage with potential DCEs as the application deadline rapidly approaches (April 1, 2021).