Value-Based Care

The Obama administration on Thursday reported what it called encouraging results from efforts to reduce healthcare costs and improve the quality of care for more than 5 million Medicare beneficiaries under Obamacare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that accountable care organizations (ACOs) that participated in its Shared Savings program during 2012 saved $380 million in health spending. However, more than half of the 114 participating organizations did not produce any savings.

The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology is getting out of the business of testing and certifying electronic health-record systems after nearly a decade as the first and still most-commonly used provider of those services in the U.S.

Office visits are likely to decrease as both physician and patient rely more on digital tools, study concludes.

A survey of Medicare ACOs after their first year in operations suggests that all parties, government and private sector health organizations, have improvements to make in the coming years, especially when it comes to sharing data.

Physicians' effective use of electronic health records will play a critical role in the development of payment and delivery reforms, the country's new health information technology (IT) czar said in her first public comments.

There is a radical and bipartisan bill making its way to Congress that could change the future of Medicare.

David Hoyt, MD, FACS, executive director, American College of Surgeons (ACS), says the 4 pillars are based on 100 years of setting standards for healthcare.

COA and ASCO are issuing a joint statement on payment reform in cancer care. The goal is to improve the lives of individuals with cancer, in part by developing and supporting payment systems based on evidence-based medicine and measures of quality and value in cancer care.

While some health systems, hospitals, and physician practices will choose to avoid forming an accountable care organization or adopting any other ACO-like model, they are still likely to face challenges around care coordination and collaboration as a result of consolidation in the healthcare industry.

The state's largest health network and largest health insurer have shown marked reductions or slower growth in the use of services as part of their three-year-old accountable-care organization, an encouraging sign as providers and payers try to reduce the cost of care.

Conference Coverage: Diabetes Innovation

We continue to see progress in improving the nation's healthcare system, and a key tool to helping achieve that goal is the increased use of electronic health records by the nation's doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers.

The combination of electronic medical record data and administrative data provides the fullest picture of patient health histories.

Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP, director, Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, and attending physician, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, says there are a couple of challenges with the accountable care organization (ACO) and patient centered medical home (PCMH) care models.

State governments have a unique opportunity to transform the current health care system into one that provides higher-quality care at lower costs.

Steven D. Shapiro, MD, executive vice president, chief medical and science officer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says healthcare reform's biggest benefit is that it is leading care from a system that is volume based to one that is value based.

The health IT market is poised for strong growth.

January 2014 has arrived, and with that Affordable Care Act coverage begins. Over the next 12 months, the administration will thoroughly consider the ways in which it can control the rising costs of healthcare in the United States. This is especially true for the nation's Medicare program.

Starting in January, there will officially be an additional 123 accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. As providers and hospitals transition to this emerging care model, there is mixed opinion over its longevity.

HHS announced the latest round of accountable care contracts in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, adding 123 additional ACOs and reaching about 1.5 million more Medicare beneficiaries.

Dr Peter Bach says professionals are looking at opportunities for new payment models and care redesign, but there are also threats that might surface. Each type of insurance payment model has different levels of risk factors. New payment models, such as the UHC pathways program and CMMI demo, have limited risk.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday that it is seeking a second round of applicants to the Pioneer ACO Model. It is also soliciting suggestions for new accountable care organization models that encourage greater provider integration and financial accountability.