Though somewhat unheralded, a core part of the health care reform law will emerge this year and continue on over the course of implementation. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, under the initial direction of former Geisinger Health System executive Richard Gilfillan, has a wide berth to develop, test and ultimately implement programs that test different payment and delivery models under the federal health programs. As such, many health policy analysts see the CMI as one of the key provisions to help bend the cost curve -- an original goal of the Affordable Care Act.

Boosting quality while driving down costs has long been considered the Holy Grail of genuine health reform. The still-new health care law gives the CMI broad authority to expand and expedite programs that keep costs in check while improving the care and clinical outcomes for various patient populations..

Some health policy professionals see the CMI as central to making the health reform effort work. Others are more skeptical. Overall, do you think the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation will reshape how the government pays for care?