On Feb. 28, 2022, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) published a Request for Applications for the second cohort of the Kidney Care Choices (KCC) Model, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Kidney Care First Option and the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting Options. The second cohort of the KCC Model will begin participation on Jan. 1, 2023.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Kidney Care First (KCF) Option
Under the CMS KCF Option, CMS will make adjusted capitated payments to participating nephrology practices for managing beneficiaries with chronic kidney disease Stages 4 and 5 and end-stage renal disease. CMS will additionally make performance-based payment adjustments to payments to participating nephrology practices and, separately, to their nephrology professionals, based on how well the practice performs on specified quality measures.
Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting (CKCC) Options
For the three CKCC Options, nephrology professionals must partner with transplant providers, and may partner with dialysis facilities and other providers and suppliers to become Kidney Contracting Entities (KCEs). KCEs will receive adjusted capitated payments for managing beneficiaries with chronic kidney disease Stages 4 and 5, end-stage renal disease and kidney transplants. The KCE will select a total cost of care accountability framework, and its payments under the model will be adjusted based on its performance on quality measures. KCEs participating in the CKCC Options select one of three risk-sharing options: the graduated option, the professional option or the global option.
Application Deadline
Nephrology practices interested in participating in the KCF Option or one of the CKCC Options must file an application by 11:59 p.m. on March 25, 2022. To file an application, applicants must complete the Qualtrics form. Questions to CMMI about the application should be directed to KCF-CKCC-CMMI@cms.hhs.gov.
Updates on Innovation Center Kidney Models Webinar
CMMI will host a national call on March 2, 2022, at 3 p.m. (ET) to provide updates on the KCC Models. Interested stakeholders must register for the webinar.
