Value-Based Payment Is Spreading, but Models Need Refinement
A markedly greater share of the payments health care providers receive from insurers is now linked to the value of services delivered to patients. According to Catalyst for Payment Reform's 2014 national scorecard, some 40 percent of private health plan payments to providers are now based on the quality and cost of care, rather than the volume of services provided. In 2013, that share was just 11 percent. <br /><br />
In a new blog post, The Commonwealth Fund’s Rose Kleiman and Mark Zezza caution, however, that private and public investments in value-based care—from health IT to new billing and organizational structures—must be based on evidence showing they lead to more efficient and effective care. <br />
<br />
While evaluations of payment reforms to date have generally found mixed results, the authors point to the promise of behavioral economics, psychology, and organizational management sciences, among other fields, to make value-based incentives more effective.<br />
<br />