Innovating for improved care transitions: The CCTP program and beyond

Recent federal investments in care transitions show the priority being placed on the issue of care transitions from a national level. This can be seen in three prominent programs, launched as provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): The Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, and the Partnership for Patients. This article briefly discusses these ACA provisions and programs, which build on prior work initiated by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' last three-year contract with the Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO), organizations charged with improving care for Medicare beneficiaries.