Dr. Joseph Betancourt, a primary care physician and chief equity and inclusion officer at Massachusetts General Hospital, spoke to NPR about how health disparities cause minorities to be more susceptible to the coronavirus. (audio - radio - interview, approx. 7 min.)
WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic, which has fueled widespread speculation about potential long-term changes to American life, is already causing one important shift: It has accelerated moves to restructure how basic medical care is provided and paid for in the U.S.
Doctor groups and insurers say in just the last month, there’s been a dramatic surge of interest in large-scale changes in the way primary care doctors are paid, an overhaul that policy experts have envisioned for decades.
When it comes to US health care, the adage of “you get what you pay for” does not apply. The US spends more on health care than any other country, but we have lower-quality care and worse outcomes than many nations that spend considerably less.
This disconnect stems from how we spend our money. Research confirms that advanced primary care, such as patient-centered medical homes and other accountable care models, help fulfill the “quadruple aim”: high-quality care, better health, lower costs, and improved experience for clinicians and staff in the delivery of care.
States that spend more on primary care have better patient outcomes, including fewer hospitalizations and emergency department visits, a new study concluded.
However, spending on primary care remains low throughout the country, according to an analysis by the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative (PCPCC), which undertook a state-by-state look at spending.
The collaborative released its report Wednesday that included the first-ever state-level analysis of primary care spending and also looked at commercial and public payers.
Increasing spending on primary care lowers emergency department visits and hospitalizations, according to the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative's 2019 Evidence Report.
Re: Geographic Population-Based Payment (PBP) Model Option Request for Information (RFI)
Dear Deputy Administrator Boehler:
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the RFI on Direct Contracting – Geographic PBP Model Option. We applaud your commitment to pursuing payment and delivery system reform through innovative demonstration programs.
A handful of accountable care organizations are moving to cover an entire state, but not everyone thinks bigger is better when it comes to population health management.
Caravan Health, a company that works with ACOs, last week announced the launch of its second statewide program, this time in Florida. In the model, any of the 200-some Florida Hospital Association facilities that want to participate can join together to provide coordinated care.
(Story updated at 3:57 p.m. ET)The CMS plans to unveil a mandatory Medicare payment model for cancer patients, and two new voluntary models for cardiac care in the coming weeks, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. That means the Trump administration is reversing course from its prior stance that payment models, which put providers at risk of losing money if they don't lower costs of care, should be voluntary."Real experimentation with episodic bundles requires a willingness to try mandatory models," Azar said at the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative Conference on Thursday.
