Title 42

SECTION 425.221

425.221 Close-out procedures and payment consequences of early termination.

§ 425.221 Close-out procedures and payment consequences of early termination.

(a) Close-out procedures. (1) An ACO whose participation agreement has expired or is terminated by CMS under § 425.218 or by the ACO under § 425.220 must implement close-out procedures including but not limited to the following issues in a form and manner and by a deadline specified by CMS:

(i) Notice to ACO participants of termination.

(ii) Record retention.

(iii) Data sharing.

(iv) Quality reporting.

(v) Beneficiary continuity of care.

(2) ACOs that fail to complete close-out procedures in the form and manner and by the deadline specified by CMS will not be eligible to share in savings.

(b) Payment consequences of early termination. (1) Receipt of shared savings. (i) Except as set forth in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, an ACO that terminates its participation agreement under § 425.220 is eligible to receive shared savings for the performance year during which the termination becomes effective only if all of the following conditions are met:

(A) CMS designates or approves an effective date of termination of the last calendar day of the performance year.

(B) The ACO has completed all close-out procedures by the deadline specified by CMS.

(ii) If the participation agreement is terminated at any time by CMS under § 425.218, the ACO is not eligible to receive shared savings for the performance year during which the termination becomes effective.

(2) Payment of shared losses. (i) Except as set forth in paragraph (b)(3)(i) of this section, for performance years beginning before July 1, 2019, an ACO under a two-sided model is not liable for any shared losses if its participation agreement is terminated effective before the last calendar day of a performance year.

(ii) Except as set forth in paragraph (b)(3)(ii) of this section, for performance years beginning on July 1, 2019 and subsequent performance years, an ACO under a two-sided model is liable for a pro-rated share of any shared losses, as calculated in paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section, if its participation agreement is terminated effective before the last calendar day of a performance year.

(A) An ACO under a two-sided model that terminates its participation agreement under § 425.220 with an effective date of termination after June 30th of a 12-month performance year is liable for a pro-rated share of any shared losses determined for the performance year during which the termination becomes effective.

(B) An ACO under a two-sided model whose participation agreement is terminated by CMS under § 425.218 is liable for a pro-rated share of any shared losses determined for the performance year during which the termination becomes effective.

(iii) The pro-rated share of losses described in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section is calculated as follows:

(A) In the case of a 12-month performance year, the shared losses incurred during the 12 months of the performance year are multiplied by the quotient equal to the number of months of participation in the program during the performance year, including the month in which the termination was effective, divided by 12.

(B) In the case of a 6-month performance year beginning July 1, 2019, the shared losses incurred during CY 2019 are multiplied by the quotient equal to the number of months of participation in the program during the performance year, including the month in which the termination was effective, divided by 12.

(3) Exceptions. (i) An ACO starting a 12-month performance year on January 1, 2019, that terminates its participation agreement with an effective date of termination of June 30, 2019, and that enters a new agreement period beginning on July 1, 2019, is eligible for pro-rated shared savings or liable for pro-rated shared losses for the 6-month period from January 1, 2019, through June 30, 2019, as determined in accordance with § 425.609.

(ii) An ACO under a two-sided model that terminates its participation agreement under § 425.220 during the 6-month performance year beginning July 1, 2019, with an effective date of termination prior to the last calendar day of the performance year is not liable for shared losses incurred during the performance year.

[80 FR 32839, June 9, 2015, as amended at 83 FR 60092, Nov. 23, 2018; 83 FR 68064, Dec. 31, 2018]