CMS is Ending Four Major Medicare Payment Programs – What’s Next for Providers?
In a major policy shift, the CMS Innovation Center has announced plans to terminate four Medicare payment models by the end of 2025, citing financial impact, quality outcomes, and operational feasibility. These changes will affect thousands of healthcare providers who have structured care delivery around these models.
Which Programs Are Ending?
CMS will discontinue the following programs:
- Primary Care First (2021-2026): Aimed at improving primary care access and reducing costs.
- Making Care Primary (2024-2034): Designed to strengthen primary care integration.
- End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (2021-2027): Encouraged home dialysis and transplants for kidney disease patients.
- Maryland Total Cost of Care (2019-2026): Focused on controlling healthcare costs at the state level.
These cuts signal a broader shift toward evidence-based, competitive care models that CMS believes will yield better cost savings and patient outcomes.
What Does This Mean for Providers?
Organizations participating in these programs will now need to:
Evaluate financial impact: How will reimbursement changes affect revenue streams?
Identify alternative care models: What new payment models align with CMS’ evolving priorities?
Ensure compliance and transition planning: How can organizations smoothly exit these programs while maintaining quality care?
How TimeDoc Health Can Help
With these program changes, providers need reliable care coordination and remote patient monitoring solutions to maintain revenue, improve patient outcomes, and stay ahead of regulatory shifts.
TimeDoc Health offers:
- Scalable Remote Care Solutions – Maintain patient engagement and continuity of care outside of CMS-funded programs.
- Alternative Revenue Streams – Replace lost Medicare reimbursements with billable chronic care management (CCM) and remote patient monitoring (RPM) services.
- Seamless Transitions – Easily integrate TimeDoc Health’s technology and workflows to ensure operational stability during these program changes.
Next Steps
Providers affected by these changes should start planning now to minimize disruptions. Organizations may need to pivot to other value-based care models or reassess their financial strategies to stay competitive.
If your organization was enrolled in any of these programs, TimeDoc Health can help you transition smoothly and build a sustainable care model.
For more details, read the full article from Becker’s Healthcare.
