Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)
What is the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI)?
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, also known as the “Innovation Center,” is tasked with designing, implementing, and testing new healthcare payment models. It was authorized under the Affordable Care Act to address growing concerns about quality of care, rising costs, and inefficient spending.
A particular focus of the CMMI, under direction from Congress, is models that can potentially lower healthcare spending for Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP while keeping or improving the quality of care received through these programs.
Since its authorization, the CMMI has launched more than 40 new payment models, most within Medicare, including bundled payment models, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and medical homes models.
How does the CMMI improve healthcare?
The CMMI plays an essential role in creating, testing, and implementing new healthcare payment models that lower healthcare costs while ensuring quality continually improves. This benefits both the healthcare provider, who can lower their care costs, and the patient, who receives the benefit of higher quality care.
Additionally, CMMI awards grants to researchers, state agencies, and other organizations for projects to design and implement new payment models, continually lowering costs and improving care.