As Medicare moves toward compensating physicians differently, proposals for alternative payment models need expert review and analysis.

Medicare has been shifting toward value-based care, which pays clinicians for the quality and outcomes of the care they provide rather than the volume of services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center tests alternative payment models for the Medicare population, and while progress has been made, effective new approaches are still needed to deliver high-quality care at lower costs.

Congress created the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) in 2015 to encourage the development of innovative physician-focused payment models. PTAC considers proposed models submitted by individuals and organizations and explores important themes in value-based care that emerge from its review of these proposals. PTAC presents its recommendations for alternative payment models to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). This work requires technical and operational support to ensure PTAC has the evidence it needs to make informed recommendations.

NORC provides ASPE and PTAC with the research and operational support needed to explore alternative payment models and advise HHS.

Since 2018, we have supported PTAC under a contract with the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE). We work with PTAC to evaluate proposals for physician-focused payment models that are submitted to the committee. We also conduct research and analysis to support PTAC in exploring underlying topics on value-based care to ensure committee members can make informed recommendations.

Our team conducts literature-based research and claims-based analysis to support the committee’s work, identifies experts in value-based care to share information with the committee, and prepares draft policy reports on PTAC’s activities and deliberations for HHS officials.  We conduct in-depth research and analysis and produce detailed public technical reports to inform PTAC’s work on a broad range of issues in value-based care, such as participation in accountable care organizations, performance measures, transitional care management, and rural health disparities.

We also ensure that PTAC fulfills its obligations as a federal advisory committee to make its work publicly available. Our team solicits public input on the proposals and topics that PTAC examines, coordinates the planning and logistics for the committee’s quarterly public meetings, helps manage compliance with regulatory and administrative requirements, and prepares materials for PTAC’s federal website.