Ellen Meara, PhD

Health-related quality of life is a psychometrically sound outcome measure for high-cost, high-need populations. Unlike health care spending, it does not exhibit mean reversion.

This article compares clinical and utilization profiles of Medicare patients who are attributed to provider groups with those of patients unattributed to any provider group in accountable care organization models.

Expanding and more representative participation in Medicare's Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative suggests potential for large impact, pending the results of risk-bearing participants.

Payment reform may be used to better align appropriate financial incentives with better quality of care.