In other healthcare news:
CASH FOR VALUE-BASED CARE — CMS announced an experimental pilot program Thursday that seeks to give doctors money to ease the transition to a new system that pays them based on the value of care delivered, Robert reports.
The agency announced the Making Primary Care payment model that will be rolled out in eight states starting in July 2024. The model is part of a larger effort by CMS to get doctors who treat patients in rural and underserved communities into value-based payment arrangements.
“Ensuring stability, resiliency, and access to primary care will only improve the health care system,” said Liz Fowler, head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which will oversee the model, in a statement.
Under a value-based care system, doctors are paid based on how well they meet spending and quality targets, and some of Medicare’s savings are shared with physicians. Currently, Medicare reimburses doctors for each item or service, creating a disincentive to deliver the best value to patients.
However, the startup costs for transitioning to value-based care are high, and some doctors in underserved areas who operate on thin margins have long voiced concerns.
The model will run for 10 and a half years and be made up of three tracks. The first track gives financial support to doctors new to value-based care, and the others enable doctors to save more once they’re comfortable in the program.”
Ahhh, nothing like the fresh smell of failure in the air. Let’s count how many ways this program sucks:
- “New system that pays them based on the value of care delivered” (how do you really measure value? Money saved? Doctors enjoy their job? Good care? Patients are happy?)
- “Under a value-based care system, doctors are paid based on how well they meet spending and quality targets, and some of Medicare’s savings are shared with physicians”. (oh, so we are back to quality metrics again? That keeps failing over and over. See this recent study).
- “The model will run for 10 and a half years and be made up of three tracks.” (Just long enough to make enough rural doctors quit).
Like the image above, the government keeps repurposing a bunch of crap in different ways so doctors think they are getting something different. And like the image above, it won’t work.
The ONLY answer is Direct Primary Care. Yes, even in rural areas! It is affordable. It is doable. Doctors are going back to these areas because they like living there. And patients and doctors love it! Don’t believe me? Come to the DPC Summit (or attend virtually) this week and ask.