HHS Issues Plan to Transition Medicare to Quality- and Value-Based Payments

​The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has publicized its plan to transition Medicare from a traditional fee-for-service payment model to one that ties physician reimbursement to quality of care. HHS has set a goal to link 30% of Medicare fee-for-service payments to quality or value through alternative payment models (including patient-centered medical homes, accountable care organizations, and bundled payment arrangements) by the end of 2016 and link 50% of payments to alternative models by the end of 2018.