Staying Clear of Antitrust Violations: Advice for State Multipayer Medical Home Programs
<p>Twenty states are undertaking efforts to encourage multiple payers to take part in medical home initiatives. The participation of many payers offers several advantages: it provides impetus for primary care practices to transform into medical homes, helps distribute the costs of creating medical homes, and leads to coordinated provider payment. </p><p>One key concern, however, is the potential for uncompetitive behavior, something that antitrust laws seek to protect consumers against. In a new <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2013/jul/state-strategies-avoid-antitrust-concerns-multipayer-medical">Commonwealth Fund issue brief,</a> experts from the National Academy for State Health Policy provide examples of how states with multipayer medical home programs are using legislative, executive, or regulatory policies to address antitrust concerns. </p>
<p>In addition to state-level policies, the authors found that avoiding group discussions around payment amounts and ensuring that payers are fully aware of antitrust risk are essential for sidestepping potential antitrust problems in multipayer initiatives. Visit <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2013/jul/state-strategies-avoid-antitrust-concerns-multipayer-medical">commonwealthfund.org</a> to read more. </p>