Health Care Cost

While speaking at the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations Spring 2016 Conference, Stephen Nuckolls, CEO of Coastal Carolina Quality Care, said that fair and transparent benchmarks are important in creating successful ACO programs.

What We're Reading, July 12, 2016: Oregon's Health CO-OP to close down by the end of July; experts discuss fairer ways to decide on drug pricing; and gender bias in physician salaries at academic institutions.

A statewide all-payer claims database would permit more insight into what’s happening with cost and quality of providers, and possibly transform healthcare payment, explained Karen van Caulil, PhD, president and CEO of the Florida Health Care Coalition.

Experts at a summit convened by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) agreed that progress in health information technology can help break the walls between compartmentalized data that lives within distinct data systems, to improve patient outcomes.

The Oncology Care Model is one of the most recent bundled payment programs announced by CMS, going into effect July 1. Participants will need a robust data analytics program in order to meet practice requirements, and achieve clinical and financial goals. Read on for tips to achieve data-driven success, and a simulation of what practice data will look like under the model.

More insurers are moving towards alternative payment and delivery models, but the transition needs to happen a lot quicker, explained Michael E. Chernew, PhD, during a panel discussion at the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition Spring Live Meeting.

What we're reading, June 29, 2016: CMS is considering changes to the proposed Medicare Part B demonstration; Senate Democrats block the GOP's Zika funding bill; and a Bloomberg analysis shines light on the pricing practices of the pharmaceutical industry.

In order to get physicians engaged and involved in accountable care organizations (ACOs), it is important to educate them on the mission and understand that the organization is looking to improve, not ration, care, Stephen Nuckolls, CEO of Coastal Carolina Quality Care, explained at the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations Spring 2016 Conference.

More than 58% of healthcare payers’ businesses have already shifted to full value-based reimbursement models, a 10% increase since 2014.

At the Pharmacy Quality Alliance's Annual Meeting, Kate Goodrich, MD, of CMS, and a group of experts discussed the government's move toward value-based care and the use of quality measures.

A report developed by Avalere Health, based on a survey that the company conducted among health plans in 2015, states that a majority of health plans want to sign outcomes-based contracts with biopharmaceutical companies, especially for oncology and hepatitis C drugs.

At The Community Oncology Conference: Innovation in Cancer Care, oncologists discussed how their practices are coping with the transition toward quality- and value-based reimbursement.

An expert panel at The Community Oncology Conference: Innovation in Cancer Care, held in Orlando, Florida, April 13-15, 2016, provided insight on current transitions in healthcare reform, and their predictions for the future.

CMS has developed the Oncology Care Model (OCM) to provide physician practices that furnish chemotherapy treatment the option of payment arrangements that include financial and performance accountability for episodes of care for cancer patients. This article presents an overview of the model and guidelines that can help meet the quality and performance measures for OCM participation.

Karen Ignagni discusses taking over EmblemHealth and implementing a turnaround after the company experienced net losses of more than $485 million in 2014, as well as the healthcare industry's transition to value-based payment.

The top managed care stories this week included an update to the American Society of Clinical Oncology's value framework, a study that reported readmission rates among safety net hospitals after cancer surgery, and findings that bariatric surgery can benefit patients with diabetes.

The new accountable care organization (ACO) benchmarking rule changes it so ACOs aren't just competing against themselves and transitions so ACOs have to be better than others in their region, Farzad Mostashari, MD, chief executive officer of Aledade, explained at the National Association of ACOs Spring 2016 Conference.

In order to slow the rising costs of prescription drugs there has to be a greater emphasis on value-based payments, on transparency, and on the consumer, perhaps even with the government’s help, said John Bennett, MD, FACC, FACP, president and CEO of CDPHP.

As the most advanced accountable care organization (ACO) model, Next Generation ACO has its appeal. However, it is the riskiest model, and one ACO explains why it decided to stay with the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

What we're reading, May 27, 2016: treatment for pregnant women is often based on guesswork since few drugs are ever tested on them; a new superbug in the US is resistant to even the antibiotic of last resort; and how small physician practices can adapt to new payment models.

Accountable care organizations have to work more on engaging physicians in meaningful leadership roles and should focus on learning about patient goals, said James Whitfill, MD, chief medical officer of Scottsdale Health Partners.

Measuring the quality of oncology care and associating it with reimbursement, and high drug prices remain important concerns of value-based outpatient cancer care. A healthcare economist reviews the current status and suggests a potential path forward.

In order for accountable care organizations to overcome short-term thinking they must be careful with their fee-for-service codes and ensure that people are using the system responsibly, Farzad Mostashari, MD, chief executive officer of Aledade, said at the National Association of ACOs Spring 2016 Conference.

The Medicare Part B demonstration has been controversial since its announcement, but Steven D. Pearson, MD, MSc, president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, considers it a wise move on the part of CMS because it provides an opportunity to learn about different payment structures.