Calculating the regional adjustment to the historical benchmark.

§ 425.656 Calculating the regional adjustment to the historical benchmark.

(a) General. This section describes the methodology for calculating the regional adjustment to the historical benchmark based on the ACO's regional service area expenditures, making separate calculations for the following populations of beneficiaries: ESRD, disabled, aged/dual eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and aged/non-dual eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. This section applies to regional adjustment calculations for agreement periods beginning on January 1, 2024, and in subsequent years.

(b) Calculation of an average per capita expenditure amount for the ACO's regional service area. To compute an average per capita expenditure amount for the ACO's regional service area, CMS does all of the following:

(1) Determines the counties included in the ACO's regional service area based on the ACO's BY3 assigned beneficiary population.

(2) Determines the ACO's regional expenditures as specified under § 425.654 for BY3.

(3) Adjusts for differences in severity and case mix between the ACO's assigned beneficiary population for BY3 and the assignable population of beneficiaries for the ACO's regional service area for BY3. The assignable population of beneficiaries is identified for BY3 using the assignment window or expanded window for assignment that is consistent with the beneficiary assignment methodology selected by the ACO for the performance year according to § 425.400(a)(4)(ii).

(c) Calculation of the adjustment. To calculate the adjustment, CMS does all of the following:

(1) Determines the difference between the average per capita amount of expenditures for the ACO's regional service area as specified under paragraph (b)(1) of this section and the average per capita amount of the ACO's historical benchmark determined under § 425.652(a)(1) through (7) and (c)(2), for each of the following populations of beneficiaries:

(i) ESRD.

(ii) Disabled.

(iii) Aged/dual eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

(iv) Aged/non-dual eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.

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