To meaningfully advance health equity, companies should prioritize data, focus on internal diversity as well as external, seek community input and support coalitions of partners, according to a new roadmap brief from Bain & Company. While most executives (78%) say they have a health equity strategy, only 18% say it is well-defined and supported by milestones, a recent Bain survey cited in the brief found. Fewer than half of those who have a strategy believe it has been effective. About a third of executives believe the case for improving health equity is social, without business motivations, the brief said. As a result, they often treat health equity as a philanthropic effort that lacks the same rigor and resources as other bottom-line efforts. Competing priorities are the top barrier to advancing health equity, according to the Bain survey.

Accountable care organizations have been around in Medicare for more than a decade, generating more than $22 billion in savings and giving back more than $8 billion to the Medicare Trust Fund. But a handful of ACOs has consistently been at the top of the list of top savers, including Millennium Physician Group and Palm Beach ACO, both in Florida, and Privia Health, a physician enablement company based in Northern Virginia. Leaders of those ACOs shared their pearls of wisdom at the NAACOS Fall 2023 Conference. Two consistent themes were: Improving patient access to care and engaging physicians. Palm Beach ACO stressed improved access to care, which includes more preventive care, more urgent care, and more chronic disease management. “You see patients in the little building, you keep them out of the big building,” said David Klebonis, the ACO’s chief operating officer. Palm Beach consistently has 40 percent fewer preventable ER visits than their peers.

Healthcare payment models are evolving: 5 key capabilities providers need to ace the shift to value-based care

Becker's Health IT |

November 30, 2023

While traditional fee-for-service reimbursement models still reign supreme, more healthcare organizations are adopting value-based care (VBC) models. Between 2019 and 2021, investment in VBC and alternative payment models grew by 400%. During the same time period, investment in legacy care delivery models remained mostly flat. The appeal of VBC is evident, as healthcare leaders aim to reduce costs while improving patient care and outcome quality — but implementation is far from simple. Provider organizations of all sizes are grappling with competing priorities and common challenges in data, operations, behavior change, and resources necessary for smooth, effective transitions to new care models. Becker’s Healthcare recently spoke with Chad Dodd, vice president of product management at athenahealth, to learn why organizations must prepare for the shift to VBC, practical steps for adopting these models and where technology plays a role.

In 2024, accountable care organizations (ACOs) will have to demonstrate the efficacy of their health equity plans. Many ACOs have implemented strategies already with this goal in mind. Traditionally, ACOs have had their primary care physicians focus on population health management: addressing broad health trends and risk factors across a patient base. However, an approach that also focuses on personalized solutions offers primary care physicians the opportunity to truly improve patient health outcomes in a measurable way. ACOs can ultimately see the efficacy of such a strategy in both improved patient health outcomes as well as their return on investment (ROI).

FLASH INTERVIEW

On occasion, we showcase one of our solution providers in a 4-5 minute interview and ask them what they bring to the VBC Community and what sets them apart. 

Today's guest:

Credo is a leader in automated patient medical record retrieval and analysis serving value-based care providers. Credo offers the VBC world a scalable, reliable, and secure patient data management solution that digitizes the transfer and release of patient data, which allows healthcare providers to receive a complete medical history and summarization before every visit, and ultimately leads to better patient outcomes. Stop faxing patient health data, and start using Credo!

Visit the Credo Exhibit Booth