Compliance Perspectives

By Adam Turteltaub With a rising focus on value-based care, and a new program seeking to make the approach mandatory, we spoke with Ed White (LinkedIn), Partner at Nelson Mullins. Previous efforts to move toward value-based models, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), faced significant barriers due to regulatory frameworks like the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute. These laws were designed to prevent financial incentives from influencing medical decisions, but they also limited the ability of hospitals and physicians to collaborate in ways necessary for effective value-based care implementation. Recognizing these constraints, CMS and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) collaborated in 2020 to issue new regulations aimed at facilitating the transition to value-based care. The next step in the transition is the new Transforming Episode Accountability Model or TEAM program, which will become mandatory in 2026. This program includes 740 hospitals across the country and targets five specific sur