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A former senior Trump administration official lambasted the decision, calling it "a big blow to value-based care." While some healthcare organizations forged ahead with the GPDC model despite the pandemic, others held off until they weathered the storm. CMMI had told interested organizations that they could join the model after the pandemic ended, so many of them decided to wait to apply.
Now many would-be participants are in limbo, as the agency decides the fate of the model or its possible replacement. The uncertainty has created widespread consternation among existing accountable care organizations and all new direct contracting entities backed by managed-care organizations or venture capital firms. Many of them would have applied for the pilot project last year if they knew CMMI would pause new applications for 2022, experts said.