CMS approves Maryland waiver to encourage care coordination

By Virgil Dickson
Maryland hospitals have a new federal reprieve from kickback laws to team up with doctors and better coordinate patient care. Under a new CMS waiver approval, Maryland hospitals and doctors can enter care-coordination partnerships and share savings stemming from more efficient treatment, according to Nicole Dempsey Stallings, vice president of policy at the Maryland Hospital Association.
Such partnerships could trigger federal anti-kickback laws, but the approved plan waives participants’ liability starting July 1. Sixteen hospitals will participate in the Care Redesign Program, and more will be able to join next year. “This model is recognition that initiatives affecting quality and cost need to include more than just hospital care,” said Brian White, executive vice president.