A new policy brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) describes the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative, four new payment models being tested by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), to reduce Medicare spending. Under this initiative, Medicare makes one payment for a bundle of services, instead of separately reimbursing each service provider.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) gives CMS the authority to create new payment models as long as they preserve or improve the quality of care being provided. There has been healthy interest by providers and health organizations in participating in the BPCI initiative, which first began enrolling participants in 2013.
The brief details the existing payment systems for Medicare, which have often led to wide variations in reimbursement; according to CMS, waste, overtreatment, and lack of care coordination have accounted for 20–40 percent of Medicare costs. As the brief notes, the ultimate aim of the BPCI initiative is not just to change how Medicare pays for services but to prompt changes in how health care is delivered in the United States.
About Health Policy Briefs
Health Policy Briefs are aimed at policy makers, congressional staffers, and others needing short, jargon-free explanations of health policy basics. The briefs, which are reviewed by experts in the field, include competing arguments on policy proposals and the relevant research supporting each perspective.
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from Health Affairs Blog http://ift.tt/1YsECk5
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