A Fall report to the HHS Secretary from an independent federal advisory committee made up of leading clinical experts will include C-TAC recommendations from a recent listening session.
C-TAC CEO, Jon Broyles and Care Model Advisory Group members, Gary Bacher (Capital Health) and Torrie Fields (Votive Health), recently presented C-TAC’s policy priorities to the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC). Other speakers included Liz Fowler, Director of CMS Innovation Center, and Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator of CMS. PTAC is an independent federal advisory committee that makes recommendations to the Secretary of HHS on stakeholder-submitted physician-focused payment models and related topics. Components of C-TAC and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM)’s 2017 proposals to PTAC went on to be included in key CMMI payment model demonstrations such as in Primary Cares.
C-TAC’s presentation spotlighted the story of the late patient-advocate and C-TAC board member, Shirley Roberson, and the disparities she faced while living with serious illness. The disparities in access to community-based care and services Roberson faced affected countless others and Broyles took this opportunity to elevate their needs.
Five years after the 2017 proposal, C-TAC recognized that the greatest opportunity before us is to ensure that non-medical social supports are integrated into clinical care models.
A call to action that Roberson often used reflects this opportunity:
“When you feel like giving up, it’s your community that’s going to keep you going”
Shirley Roberson
To achieve effective community engagement and integration into care models we need to (1) systematically identify people living with serious illness, (2) build capacity among CBOs to partner with health systems, and (3) explore opportunities for both standalone care models and integrated, “nested”, interventions across existing care models.
In addition to elevating our advocacy, C-TAC leaders shared that while the journey continues, significant progress has been made in ensuring that palliative care is available alongside disease-modifying care. For example, progress has been made to include palliative care as a concurrent option in three CMMI demonstrations:
- The Kidney Care Choices model
- Direct Contracting (now ACO REACH)
- The VBID Hospice “carve in”
For more information on C-TAC policy and advocacy efforts, visit our webpage here. To learn more about PTAC, click here.
Written by: Andrew Lozano, C-TAC Communications Specialist
