SERVICES
Mandatory Alternative Payment Models
Three mandatory CMS models arriving in three consecutive years. None has an opt-out. We help you understand your exposure and perform.
The Problem
CMS has moved decisively from voluntary to mandatory. Three models now land in consecutive years, and in none of them can an organization choose not to participate:
TEAM is live now. ASM begins January 2027. CJR-X begins January 2028 and is the first nationwide test of a mandatory episode-based payment model, which means it reaches most acute care hospitals in the country, not a selected sample.
The organizations that do well in mandatory models are the ones that modelled their exposure a year or more before the performance period began. The ones that struggle treat each model as a compliance exercise starting the month it goes live.
What We Do
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Exposure modelling: which of your volumes fall inside each model, and what your financial risk looks like under realistic performance scenarios.
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Readiness assessment: against the specific requirements of each.
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Regulatory tracking: as rules, geography, and methodology are updated.
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Board and leadership briefings: that support a decision rather than requiring one.
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Post-acute network design: which SNFs and home health agencies you use, and what performance you expect from them. This is where bundle performance is won or lost.
What You Get
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A quantified exposure model for each applicable program
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A phased readiness plan sequenced across 2026, 2027 and 2028
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Redesigned discharge and post-acute workflows
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A defined post-acute partner network with performance expectations
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Episode performance dashboards
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Someone tracking rule changes so you are not reading the IPPS final rule yourself
Results
50% reduction in skilled nursing facility expenditures, alongside reductions in home health and inpatient rehabilitation spend.
Post-acute cost is the largest single lever in a surgical bundle, and it grows as the episode window lengthens.
APM Connect
APM Connect has dedicated sections for all mandatory bundle models: TEAM Connect, ASM Connect, and CJR-X Connect. A collaborative network of organizations inside these mandatory models is a real differentiator, and most competitors have nothing comparable.

Let's talk about your risk arrangements.
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