What's New | August 15, 2012

Innovative Payment Policies

Traditional models of health care financing and delivery can lead to inefficient care and often lack incentives to control high health care costs and improve quality.

This issue’s featured policy Innovations describe an insurer’s contracting program and a medical center’s accountable care organization approach to reduce health care costs and improve quality, in addition to a multispecialty center’s use of innovative policies to enhance access to care among low-income patients.

The featured QualityTools include a decision guide about pay-for-performance for purchasers of health care services and a toolkit designed to assist health plans and providers in implementing a bundled fee payment model.

Featured Innovations:

• Insurer Contracting Program Features 5-Year Terms, Accountability Across Continuum, and Substantial Incentives, Leading to Spending Slowdown and Higher Quality

• Medical Center Establishes Infrastructure to Manage Care Under Capitated Contracts, Leading to Better Chronic Care Management and Lower Utilization and Costs
with Expert Commentary

• Multispecialty Practice Uses Time Credit Payments and Other Policies to Enhance Access to Conventional and Alternative Care, Improving Health Status of Low-Income Patients
with Story

Featured QualityTools:

• Pay for Performance: A Decision Guide for Purchasers
Developed by Harvard University; University of California, San Francisco

• PROMETHEUS Payment® Implementation Toolkit
Developed by Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute

View Other Issues

Also in This Issue:

Innovations >

• Capitated System Identifies, Screens, and Treats Osteoporosis Risks, Preventing Hip Fractures, Saving Lives, and Reducing Costs

• Comprehensive Program to Support Patients and Staff Improves Hospital Experience for Adult Patients With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

• Low-Overhead Medical Home Leverages Information Technology to Attract Both Providers and Patients in Underserved Rural Areas

• Patient Videos That Describe Care Experiences Spur Development of Many Successful Quality Improvement Initiatives
with Story

• Texting Service Enhances Minority Youth Access to HIV/AIDS Information and Testing

• Trained Peers Provide Culturally Appropriate Education and Support to Refugees, Improving Access to Breast Cancer Screening and Treatment

QualityTools >

• AMA Weigh What Matters
Developed by American Medical Association

• Extreme Heat Media Toolkit
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Environmental Health

• Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Risk Calculator
Developed by Northwestern University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology