Value-Based Purchasing Newsletter

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Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:49:25 PST

Governance and value-based purchasing: What employers need to know

Valerie Pracilio — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:49:23 PST

In the current economy, employers are increasingly aware of the need to employ value-based purchasing strategies. Similar strategies can also be used by health care organization governing boards.

Today, more health care providers are accepting positions at the boardroom table than in the past. These providers are well trained in the clinical aspects of health care but not the business of health care delivery. It is not surprising that providers often find themselves unprepared for a board member’s role as a decision-maker and steward. It has become clear that education is essential to prepare providers for board positions.

The Patient Centered Medical Home-What Employers Need to Know

Richard Jacoby MD — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:49:22 PST

In their capacity as payers for their employees’ medical services, employers need to be aware of trends that impact the provision and payment of healthcare services. One such trend in primary care healthcare services – specifically, the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) - meets both of these criteria by providing financial incentives to physicians for meeting certain quality criteria. In the following paragraphs, I’ll elaborate on the concepts underlying the PCMH, its potential to impact quality and cost of patient care, and some of the barriers to its implementation.

Consumer Health Websites accelerate consumer-driven healthcare

Richard Toner — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:49:21 PST

Consumer health websites (sites) have been around for more than a decade now. WebMD, RevolutionHealth, MyOptumHealth, HealthCentral, Everydayhealth, QualityHealth… the list of sites goes on and on. Employers, employees, health plans, providers, and general healthcare consumers have had varying reactions to these sites and buy-in remains largely a personal preference.

Editor's Updates from the College

Neil I. Goldfarb — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:49:20 PST

CAMHB Gets a New Name. The College for Advanced Management of Health Benefits has been renamed The College for Value-Based Purchasing of Health Benefits (CVBP). When the College was founded in 2004 the term “value-based purchasing” was relatively unknown outside of the limited circle of employers and coalitions that were already engaged in VBP activity. Since that time, the VBP movement has gathered steam, due in no small part to DHHS’ stated commitment to becoming a value-based purchaser of health services. The College curriculum has always been focused on value-based purchasing, and will continue to have this focus, so, in a year of major change for the nation, we thought the time right to update the College’s name. Hope you approve.

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Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:14 PST

Spouse Accountability in Wellness Program Requirements

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:13 PST

Benefits College Program Schedule for 2008

Neil I. Goldfarb — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:12 PST

Challenges and Benefits in Using Productivity Data from Clinical Trials for VBP Decisions

Thomas J. Bunz, Pharm.D. et al. — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:11 PST

Making value based purchasing decisions in healthcare requires balancing data from several sources. Information on effectiveness of interventions often comes from clinical trials, with less reliance on observational studies. Historically, the opposite has been true of information on the cost of interventions. More recently, providers of healthcare interventions such as drugs, devices, and disease management programs have begun to understand and appreciate the importance of costs in healthcare decision making. Because of this, the clinical trials used to demonstrate effectiveness have begun to gather data on costs. This article describes some benefits and detriments of collecting cost data as a component of clinical trials, focusing specifically on the data related to productivity.

The Emerging Role of Electronic Medical Records - What Do They Mean to Quality and Value?

Richard Jacoby — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:10 PST

President Bush identified electronic medical records (EMRs), also known as electronic health records (EHRs), as one of the 4 cornerstones in his value driven health care initiative. EMRs represent a “disruptive technology” insofar as they change the way we capture, store, retrieve, share, and use health information. Because they have the ability to transform and enhance virtually all communications, transactions, and analyses involving healthcare information, implementation of EMRs will have a profound effect on patients, providers, and payers. The transformation likely will parallel the one which occurred as information technology enhanced knowledge and productivity in the non-healthcare segments of the U.S. economy. As such, the potential of EMRs to have a significant and positive impact on quality and value in healthcare is great.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Approach to Value-Based Purchasing

Bettina Berman — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:08 PST

Although evidence suggests that both the quality and the affordability of health care can be improved¹, it is likely that such improvements will come at great cost. Healthcare expenditures in the United States (U.S.) are expected to rise precipitously - from $1.5 trillion in 2005 to over $4 trillion in 2016.² Medicare, the nation’s single largest health care purchaser, spent an estimated $425 billion on health services in 2007. With the projected growth in Medicare beneficiaries, the amount may surpass $800 billion by 2017, placing the government under significant pressure to control health care costs.³

This article is intended as a brief summary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) experience and its prospective strategies for health care quality improvement, including relevant legislation and potential future trends for value-based programs under CMS.

Uncle Sam's Debut on the Value-Based Purchasing Stage

Neil I. Goldfarb — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 07:39:07 PST

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Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:52 PDT

Program Schedule

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:51 PDT

Health of the Nation = Health of the National Work Force

Janice l. Clarke — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:50 PDT

Letter from a Graduate of CAMHB

Karin Grinstad — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:49 PDT

VBP Interview with Debra Ness

Dale Shaller — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:48 PDT

“Consumer Engagement”: Great Expectations for Employees -- and Their Employers

Dale Shaller — Thu, 31 May 2007 14:53:47 PDT

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Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:53:06 PST

P4P Primer

Valerie Pracilio et al. — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 10:53:05 PST