Medicare Shared Savings Program

Acronym: MSSP

The Medicare Shared Savings Program is a voluntary program that promotes accountability for a population of Medicare beneficiaries, improves the coordination of fee-for-service (FFS) items and services, encourages investment in infrastructure and redesigned care processes for high-quality and efficient service delivery, and promotes higher value care. Section 3022 of the Affordable Care Act amended Section 1899 of the Social Security Act (the Act) and established the Shared Savings ACO Program. More recently, the requirements for assignment under the program were amended by the 21st Century Cures Act (December 2016). The 21st Century Cures Act amended the Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assign beneficiaries to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) participating in the Shared Savings Program based not only on their utilization of primary care services furnished by physicians, but also on their utilization of services furnished by Rural Health Centers (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), effective for performance years beginning on or after January 1, 2019. In addition, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA of 2018) established additional tools and flexibilities for ACOs specifically in the areas of new beneficiary incentives, telehealth services, and choice of beneficiary assignment methodology.