HHS Launches Public-Private Effort to Accelerate Healthcare Transformation

The Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network kicked off with its inaugural meeting bringing together public and private sector actors to discuss efforts to move healthcare toward a system that pays based on quality rather than quantity.

More than 2800 payers, providers, employers, patients, states, consumer groups, consumers, and other partners have already registered to participate.

President Barack Obama spoke before the panel discussion and highlighted examples of efforts that are improving healthcare delivery around the country.

“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “You’re already figuring out what works to reduce infections in hospitals or help patients with complicated needs. What we have to do is share these best practices, these good ideas, including new ways to pay for care so we’re rewarding quality. And that’s what this Network is all about.”

The panel members who participated in the inaugural Network meeting on Wednesday are leaders in the healthcare sector who are involved with innovations to improve quality and value.

“It is in our common interest to build a health care system that delivers better care, spends our health care dollars more wisely, and results in healthier people,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “When government and business work together we can all benefit. Patients can get the right care at the right time, doctors can achieve the best ideals of their profession, and health care can be more affordable for individuals and companies.”

The purpose of the Network is to accelerate healthcare delivery system transformation, which includes new payment models created under the Affordable Care Act. In addition, the Network will provide a forum for public-private partnerships to meet or exceed the recently established Medicare goals for shifting to value-based payment and alternative payment models.

“As we build these new models … the incentives have to be aligned,” Nancy Beran, MD, chief medical officer at Westchester Health. “Really, we’re trying to take the incentives the payers have to be aligned with providers and the needs of the patients so we’re building models that work to improve the quality of care.”