“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is proposing to amend its regulations that govern VA health care. This rule would establish parameters and authority for the new Center for Innovation for Care and Payment in its conduct of pilot programs designed to develop innovative approaches to testing payment and service delivery models to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care furnished by VA…”
“On June 6, 2018, section 152 of Public Law 115-182, the John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018, or the VA MISSION Act of 2018, amended title 38 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) by adding a new section 1703E, Center for Innovation for Care and Payment. Section 1703E(a)(1) establishes the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment (the Center). Section 1703E(a)(2) authorizes the conduct of pilot programs to develop innovative approaches to testing payment and service delivery models to reduce expenditures while preserving or enhancing the quality of care furnished by VA, and subsection (a)(3) requires VA to determine whether such models improve access to, and quality, timeliness, and patient satisfaction of care and services, and create cost savings for VA. Section 1703E(a)(4) requires that VA test a model in a location where VA determines that the model will address deficits in care (including poor clinical outcomes or potentially avoidable expenditures) for a defined population; it further directs VA to focus on models VA expects to reduce program costs while preserving or enhancing the quality of care received by individuals receiving benefits under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code…”
“The regulations proposed here are largely procedural, and will not, without Congressional approval of a pilot program proposal from VA, result in any change in benefits or services by themselves. Moreover, we believe that the requirement to receive Congressional approval for any waiver of authority, and VA’s proposal to publish specific pilot program proposals in the Federal Register for public comment while Congressional approval is pending, should provide the public a more meaningful opportunity to comment on the actual pilot programs implemented under section 1703E. For these reasons, we believe that 30 days would be a sufficient period of time for the public to comment on this rulemaking. In sum, providing a 60-day public comment period instead of a 30-day public comment period would be against public interest. For the above reasons, VA issues this rule with a 30-day public comment period. VA will consider and address comments that are received within 30 days of the date this proposed rule is published in the Federal Register…”
Source: Center for Innovation for Care and Payment – July 29, 2019. Federal Register.
